That Flesh of Mine
by WitchyGirl99
Summary: Kagome just wanted to get through high school in one piece. She never thought one night in the woods would change everything: that monsters were real. They were coming to the tiny town of Sakura for something important, something powerful. And one monster, with claws and fangs and blood-soaked silver hair, was the centre of all of it. Watching her with golden eyes. InuKag.
1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:** Day 4 of the 12 Days of Witchyness! This will be my next full-lengthed fic, and yes, it is going to have some serious plot rather than my usual, fluffy stuff. This is incredibly, loosely based on _Teen Wolf_. Which means that I've never watched the show; I've only stared at gifs of Dylan O'Brien and Tyler Hoechlin for a long, long time.

 **Warning:** In this story, a main character deals with the continual feeling of anxiety and has anxiety attacks. The expression in which the character undergoes these episodes does not represent anxiety as a whole, or proper ways to deal with anxiety. The description may become graphic so if this is triggering, please be careful. If you have specific concerns, please reach out to me.

* * *

 **That Flesh of Mine**

 **Chapter One**

 _There's a rumble in the floor so get prepared for war. When it hits it'll knock you to the ground, when it shakes everything around. But survival is a must so will you stand with us? Can you feel it? Make it real? Make me feel it?_

 _(Courtesy Call, Thousand Foot Krutch)_

* * *

At first, she didn't quite know what made her stop running.

Kagome Higurashi stopped in the middle of the well-worn path in the forest, grabbing at her iPod to turn the volume all the way down. She had run in the forest that backed onto her family's property hundreds of times before. It was the same route, over and over, the ground beaten over time with familiarity and use. Ever since high school became the endless drama that it always was, running had become a frequent hobby of hers.

It was the only thing, more often than not, that stopped the overwhelming flow of anxiety in her chest. That made breathing slightly easier, even if only for a few hours.

Normally, Kagome ran in the mornings but today had been a bad one. Everyone always said teenagers were the most angst-ridden, usually over silly, trivial things. They didn't feel so trivial to her though, not when the stares and the whispers followed her like a cloak, catching and wrapping around her.

The forest though; it was always quiet and any whispers were just the sigh of the leaves, the dance of the wind. This was in many ways her place to feel nothing and everything, without judgement. Right now, standing in the middle of the path, all Kagome felt was a tingle of fear, lacing its way through her bones. She looked around but nothing moved; there was no wind on a night like tonight. Everything should be peaceful. _Was_ peaceful.

It was nothing, she decided. Just her imagination running away with all of the anxieties from today. The stress was too much right now. It was getting dark though, shadows falling and stretching across the path before her. Kagome knew that there was nothing in these woods, the forest that had always taken care of her since she was a small child.

She kept her volume down and turned back around anyways, heading home. It would still be at least fifteen minutes and by then, the moon would be guiding her. The darkness had never bothered her before but now–

Cracking. Branches far off in the distance were cracking, snapping, _breaking_ at an alarming rate. Kagome tried to look into the depth of the trees but saw nothing, only picking up the sounds. Something was coming though. Quickly.

It was headed towards her.

Heart pounding, Kagome ran. She followed the path and she sprinted as fast as her body would take her. Fear was clutching at her now, hot claws scraping, burning against her insides. The snapping of branches grew louder and now the sharp rustling of leaves accompanied it. Whatever was coming was closing in and Kagome couldn't think beyond a stream of _run, go, get away, run, run_ –

A deep, snarling growl pierced the air. Instinctually, Kagome turned her head towards the sound, feet still pounding into the dirt. And she saw it.

 _It_ was some kind of– of–

Kagome screamed, a high-pitched, pathetic thing, her heart near beating out of her chest. She could hear it coming closer and closer, the hairs on the back of her neck standing on end, body shivering even as sweat poured down her face. She wasn't going to make it.

A sharp stabbing pain shattered her side, throwing her off of the dirt path and into what she could only guess was a tree. The air was knocked out of her with a shocking, vicious force and she barely had the energy to roll over, to see the monster as it stared at her with beady, black eyes. Its mouth was massive, a snake-like tongue poised between razor-sharp teeth. The monster's skin was a flawless canvas of porcelain skin, body seemingly unending with six arms but so, so many legs.

" _You_ ," the monster hissed, slithering closer. Oh god, she was going to die. Her mother was going to be devastated. This was going to kill her. "I can _feel_ it within you."

"Please don't hurt me," Kagome begged, holding up her hands, feet scrambling to push her back, get her away. "I don't know what you want; I don't have anything. _Please_." Her back hit the tree behind her. Her only hope was to run deeper into the forest, to lose it somehow. She had to run _now_ before it got any closer.

"Don't _lie_ to me," the monster hissed, hands flexing out as if to grab. "I always know where it _is_ and now this land is _free_ to roam and _destroy_."

Kagome screamed, flipping herself over and pushing herself up, forward, _go, go, go_. She ran behind the tree and then kept moving, deeper into the woods. The sharp, unbearably loud sound of wood splintering and cracking sang through the air. She couldn't look back but had to keep running forward. Wind through the trees, don't stop, _don't stop_ –

"You cannot escape!" the monster roared and again Kagome felt a horrific pain along her neck, stinging downwards as she collapsed into the dirt. Her vision was spotty, black lining everything and she couldn't breathe. Her chest was so tight and she opened her mouth, tried desperately to pull in air. Unwillingly, she rolled over and something wet dropped onto her face, sliding down her cheek like tears.

The monster was on top of her, beady eyes staring at her intently. Whatever this was, it wasn't and had never been human. It hissed at her, spit flying onto her face as it opened its mouth wider. It was going to eat her. Oh god, it was going to–

An angry, deep growl pierced through the air and then suddenly, the monster was being shoved off of her. A scream that wasn't hers bellowed into the night and Kagome reared back as fast and far as she could, eyes desperately searching in the dark for the monster. It was almost too far to tell but the thing's long body was squirming, feet stomping and stirring up the dirt. There was a sharp, pained howl and the monster hissed, body twisting.

What the hell was she doing? She needed to _run_.

Scrambling up, Kagome pushed from the ground and took off towards her house. The dirt path was the easiest to follow, the least dangerous in the night with the moon only half-full. She could barely see but she saw _enough_. All she needed was to get back, get home and call the cops. But really, what would they even do?

"You will never _get away_ ," the monster screeched, high-pitched but raspy. The thundering sound of branches cracking grew closer and Kagome knew she wasn't going to make it. There was a desperation that tore through her, a pleading scream inside her head begging her to keep going, to not stop. She wanted to live.

The monster cried out from behind and then Kagome felt her legs get hit with something. She fell down instantly, hands scrabbling in the dirt. This was it. She was going to die. " _Yes_ ," it hissed, its porcelain white body slithering closer to her. Its face was twisted, an ugliness amplified by the way its tiny black eyes were lit up. "It's in you, _girl,_ and I must have it." Screaming did nothing but it was the only thing that she had. The monster let out a fierce cry, mouth opening with razor-sharp teeth glistening, preparing to eat her.

She was so, so sorry to her mother, her brother, her grandfather–

Closing her eyes, Kagome threw her hands up but the pain that she expected never came. Instead, hair tickled at her face and a deep, pained snarl was ripped out from above her. Her dark brown eyes flew open and there, on top of her, was a boy she'd never seen in her life before.

But his eyes were red and his mouth, bloody, had fangs. Blood dripped from his forehead and stomach, and the beady-eyed monster's teeth glistened as they dung even deeper into his shoulder.

"Holy shit," she whispered, taking in nothing but angry red and vicious, bitten-off snarls.

The monster above them both bit into him harder and he growled, deep and foreboding. Blood was gushing from his wound, and Kagome could see between their bodies even more crimson, like they were bathing in it. She tried to scramble back but he was too close on top of her, too heavy. Desperately she pushed at the side of him that wasn't being clamped on by the monster but it didn't matter anyways. The creature reared back, bringing the red-eyed boy with it. His body was limp, eyes now covered by his silver hair and were those–?

A snarl, vicious and violent cut through the air and then his hands clenched, rising towards his face.

Kagome couldn't move, watching the horror-show before her and terrified, so goddamn terrified. His _claws_ extended, tiny sharp daggers that swiftly dug deep into the monster's face, dark blood exploding out. It screamed, a high-pitched wail, backing off and retreating several steps as it dropped the guy back down on the ground. He landed in a crouch and then, as if given the opportunity he'd been waiting for all along, the silver-haired man opened his eyes.

" _Run_ ," he hissed, smirking. It sent a shiver through her, the reaction of prey being focused on by a predator. He flexed his claws, hands covered in gore. He turned to the monster behind him. There was a howl and Kagome rolled over, trying to crawl up to run back to the house. Excruciating pain lanced through her foot, sending her back down into the ground, face covered with dirt. Desperately, she crawled forward, trying to get as far away as she could without putting pressure on her ankle. She screamed once more as something thick and heavy bounced off of her legs, that something only known when she saw the porcelain monster and the man rolling in front of her. The monster's mouth was dripping with blood and the guy looked like he was in horrible pain, every part of him covered in black. The creature's six arms held him down, forcing his face to the side and his neck exposed. He was struggling, hands flexing constantly but touching nothing but air. His growls were endless, a dog cornered with nowhere to run.

He was going to die.

He was going to die trying to saving her, and then she'd be dead too.

Kagome grabbed the closest thing she could find in range – a stick – and stumbled upwards despite the pain. She threw it as hard as she could, yelling at the top of her lungs. " _Stop!_ "

The stick did nothing more than bounce uselessly off the creature, but it was enough to make the beady-eyed thing recoil to the side slightly, adjusting enough weight that the guy underneath could rear up, forcing off the arms. His claws went straight for the monster's throat, slicing in so deep that the head actually rolled, a horrifying shock of bone protruding. Its long, terrifying body twitched until finally... Silence.

Kagome couldn't look away from all of the blood. The black eyes of the monster were still open, staring at the sky accusingly. Oh _god,_ it–

A hitch of breath shocked her back into focus, her dark brown eyes zeroing in the guy who had now dragged himself away to the closest tree. He was leaning back on it heavily, red eyes staring at her, breaths coming in ragged and far too quick. His hands, clawed and bloody, were pressed against his neck and side, and in that moment she realized he was hurt far more than she knew. The neck wound was still horribly bloody but there was something protruding from his side. Even from a distance she could see the blood leaking out around it. There were gashes on his legs. Not a single piece of clothing he wore wasn't covered in thick, cloying crimson.

It was in that moment she decided to drag herself over, body moving on autopilot. A guttural snarl shook the air around them, freezing her to the spot as the hair on the back of her neck stood up straight. Her mind was screaming at her to run, to flee. Not in his direction, but to go the other way. The guy was not a man, not a human, not the more she stared at him. Blood red eyes – like something from a horror movie – and long, red-streaked silver hair. Clawed hands like some sort of wolf had torn into the other creature like it was made of paper. Most startling of all was the ears, bloodied and twitching, sitting on top of his head, like a cat's would.

 _Monster_ , her mind wailed at her, over and over. Just like the porcelain thing. He was going to destroy her. He was going to eat her, _kill her_.

But no. He saved her life. Kagome gritted her teeth, ignored the warning bells and closed the gap between them, despite the way he looked at her like he wanted to claw off her face. He was still growling but the sound was weaker, an animal unsure of what to do when vulnerable. He was breathing harshly but Kagome pushed that all aside and looked at the wound instead. The protrusion was a piece of wood, thick and run completely through him. She didn't know a lot of first-aid but she remembered you didn't pull it out. You wrapped what you could around it to slow the bleeding until medical could arrive.

Kagome grabbed the hem of her shirt and pulled it over her head. It wasn't the time to be self-conscious, not when both of them were primarily covered in blood. She had a sports bra on anyways. The t-shirt would barely help with all of the blood but maybe she could rip part of his–

With a deep growl, Kagome gasped as the man – monster – ripped the wood out, flinging the protrusion as far away as possible before glaring at her, angry. At least the growling had stopped.

"What are you doing?" Kagome cried out, hands instantly flying to his side without thought or care. She could feel the way his body shuddered, tension thick in his muscles. Her t-shirt was soaked in blood immediately. Oh god, he was going to die. "I don't have a phone – shit – and I can barely walk. Why would you do that?!"

Panting through only his mouth, the guy's breathing sounded wet. That wasn't good. Kagome was positive that was a very, very bad sign. He was staring at her, fangs poking out from his lips and looking for all the world like at any second he was going to go for her throat. "It needed to go," he growled out, voice rough.

Kagome was shaking. This man, this monster, was going to kill her. She should never have gotten close, never have attempted to help despite what he did for her. But that would make her…what? A monster too, even if not visibly seen. He was likely going to die from trying to save her and Kagome wasn't careless. She couldn't leave him. She had to try. Clenching her jaw, she willed her hands to stop shaking as she moved her shirt slightly on the wound, trying to stop the worst of the bleeding.

A tiny sound, almost a deep vibration, came from his throat. The silver-haired man breathed in deep, gaze never leaving hers. His claws flexed but remained on his body, no movement towards her. As he exhaled, that little noise came again.

"Let me help you," Kagome whispered. "Let me try."

She shouldn't have been shocked, not with the way her night had been going. It still made her head spin as his eyes dimmed and she watched, mystified as her hands got wetter and wetter with blood, as the orbs shifted to something… Something beautiful. Gold.

"What are you?" Kagome asked, hushed, putting as much pressure on the wound as she could. "You saved me but I– I don't know what I'm doing. I can't–" She cut herself off. _I can't save you_. There was no way that she could get back to the house in time. Even if by some miracle she could, the medics would never get to him fast enough before he bled out.

A trace of a scowl edged along the guy's face. He tipped his head back against the tree and looked up at the sky. His ears were blood-stained and flickering, the right one poised to the side. "I'm not much of anything."

"That's not an–" The rest of her sentence was cut off sharply by the sound of snapping branches, coming from further away. She looked at the guy before her, dark eyes wide and alarmed. If something else was coming, there was no way that she could fend for them both. Oh god, and he was still bleeding; did she leave him? Run?

"Calm down, idiot," he said, eyes still focused on the sky.

"Calm _down_?" she asked, rather hysterically. Her voice was at a far higher pitch than she was used to and without consciously thinking about it, her hands tightened on his side, making him wince slightly. "We are about to get _eaten_ –"

"Inuyasha!"

Kagome whipped her head around, staring at the branches that were jostling with movement. A body was surging towards them, and the voice sounded human. It sounded even vaguely familiar. "What…?" she asked, an unformed question begging to come out.

But then a guy stepped out from the bush, breathing heavily and a little wild-eyed. His blue gaze landed on them almost immediately and he cursed, running towards them.

"I know you," Kagome said. This was weird. This was _so weird_. Because she did know him. The guy was Miroku Tsujitani, a senior at Sakura High. He was a year older and extremely popular among the students – girls in particular. He only really hung out with one person though, some girl in Kagome's grade. She couldn't remember the name; she never had any classes with her.

Miroku barely spared her a glance before he looked at the guy – the monster – bleeding out on her. His gaze went straight to her hands, where her shirt was completely soaked in blood. "What the hell did you do?" he asked roughly.

The guy – Inuyasha, apparently – shrugged. "Smelled a demon. Tracked the demon. Killed the demon."

"Looks like it nearly killed you," Miroku replied. He sounded more exasperated than angry, like he did a second before.

Kagome looked between the two of them, feeling more incredulous than she ever had before. " _Excuse me_?" she yelled. The two of them looked at her blankly. "What is going on? What the hell was that– that– that _thing?_ Why do you have ears like a _cat_?"

"A _cat_?" Inuyasha growled, narrowing his gold-coloured eyes. _Gold-coloured eyes_. They had been red before, so, so red. What was going on?

Miroku took a quick glance around, eyes landing on the body of the porcelain monster. All of the blood staining the dirt. "You need to go home," he said eventually, voice firm. "Get up and go home. Don't even bother telling anyone about this. Nobody will believe you."

Her mouth opened, then shut. It opened again. "The police need to be called! If there are more of those things out here, they need to be found and taken down."

"There aren't any more," Miroku replied sternly. "Look, you're Kagome right? That's your name?"

How he even knew surprised her but there was too much already going on, too many worries about monsters with fangs and blood-red eyes.

He must have taken her silence for an affirmative because he nodded once, sharply. "I've been where you are. Okay? And I told everyone who would listen. But the body behind you is going to decompose faster than you can get the cops out here, probably within the next fifteen minutes. And not a single cop is going to believe that you were attacked by a creature that looks like it came from a horror-enthusiast's nightmares. Your family is going to look at you differently. Your friends will turn their backs on you. You will outcast yourself for something no one will ever believe."

Kagome could feel her heartrate picking up, every single one of his words hitting a chord harder and harder with each finished sentence. She tried to play out the scenario in her head. She'd make her mom hysterical, confused. Kagome would call the cops and she'd tell the story over and over again. People would start skeptical and turn pitiful the moment they searched the woods. If no body was found…

"You know I'm right," Miroku stated, sincere. His gaze never wavered from hers. "Now go home, Kagome. Wash off the dirt and blood, and try like hell to get some sleep."

She had a million questions. Opening her mouth, the sound broke off when Inuyasha's hands knocked at her own, forcing her to let go of his side. All she saw were his claws, dipped in red. "But–"

"Go home," Inuyasha said forcefully, a deep growl in his voice. It was nothing like the hiss of the other monster but it unsettled her, anxiety lacing through her veins. Given everything that just happened, she was surprised the anxiety hadn't clawed its way up her throat already, an attack seizing her body and making everything spin. She stood up, taking two steps back before she even decided she wanted to. The pain in her foot was barely manageable.

"It's okay," Miroku murmured. "Go home."

She took another step back, stared at the guy that may or may not be human. When Kagome turned around, she looked down at the body of the slain monster, footsteps falling faster and faster until she was running. Home wasn't that far but it still took time. Branches scraped at her bare stomach but it was nothing compared to the stinging in her foot, the ankle all twisted.

Kagome didn't stop though. She kept going, until the light in front of her came from the front steps of their porch. Opening the door, she limped inside and up the stairs, praying her mother or brother wouldn't see her, wouldn't notice the blood and grime that was sure to cover her body. Once in the shower, steam fogging and cloying up the air, Kagome rubbed her body until it was raw, skin red and burning. Her hair was soaking wet when Kagome laid back down on her bed, dark brown eyes staring up at the ceiling.

It should look different, she thought. Uglier.

It was still the plain, boring white it always was.

When Kagome closed her eyes, she didn't see red eyes or fangs or claws dripping with blood. She didn't hear the snapping of sticks or the hiss of anger. Instead, when she closed her eyes, she remembered the body of the monster mostly decomposed – so fast, too fast, _inhumanly fast_ – and the wet sound of the golden-eyed man's breathing, in and out.

* * *

Waking up was like emerging from under water when you've been down in the reefs for far too long. It hurt. It hurt in so many places that Kagome fought as hard as she could to stay down, in the dark and the quiet.

Sleep was only forgiving when you were dead.

The moment she opened her eyes, everything came back to her in an overwhelming rush. Things that weren't human. Things that wanted to eat her and hurt her. Things that until yesterday, she had never known existed. Yesterday, she had almost been devoured by a snake monster that wanted to sink its teeth into her body.

Kagome's chest squeezed tightly, her breathing spiraling out of control faster than she could get a grip on it. Oh god, _Christ_ , that really happened. There were monsters out there, things that went bump in the night and wanted to eat human flesh. Her human flesh. She nearly died last night and left her family behind.

She couldn't get enough air. There wasn't enough air.

Struggling, Kagome reached jerkily for her nightstand, grabbing at a journal filled with paper cut-outs. She opened a page at random and stared at it, her chest unbearably tight.

Red roof. There was a red roof. The roof was red.

Cobblestone streets, which were weird. The streets made her think of something European, something older with history.

The old man was wearing a beige hat.

There was an animal but it was either a large cat or a small dog. She thought it was a dog. A brown dog. The dog in the picture was brown.

 _Inhale_ , two, three, four–

The sky was a light blue. It was probably morning in the painting. The sun wasn't visible. There were too many roofs.

 _Exhale_ , two, three, four–

She examined the printout of the painting, again and again, agonizing over every single detail until it was the only thing occupying her mind.

 _Inhale_ , two, three, four. _Exhale_ , two, three, four.

Sometimes it felt like forever. Other times, mere minutes. Regardless, it left her shaky and exhausted, still in her bed and under the duvet cover. Maybe it would be best if she didn't go to school today. When her mother checked on her before bed last night, she had feigned sleep, unsure of what else to do. She'd been too terrified to talk, the words of what happened threatening to spill all over the cold, laminate floor. Never had she felt more like a small child, frightened and wanting nothing more than her mom.

Would her mom even believe her?

It seemed so unlikely. Kagome stared up at the crackled ceiling, thinking. It was…crazy. Monsters were real. Who… Who in their right mind would even believe her? Miroku was right. Unless she had evidence, it was simply the word of an anxious teenager. Kagome felt her eyes burn and she forced herself to blink – once, twice – with water gathering. Shit, she was going to cry.

 _Inhale_ , two, three, four.

She needed a plan.

 _Exhale,_ two, three, four.

Evidence. If Kagome had evidence, she could get authorities involved, people with guns who could shoot whatever atrocious things were out there dead. There couldn't be just the one monster. That guy who saved her life… He'd been a monster, too.

Then again, he'd saved her.

It was all incredibly confusing.

Breathing in, Kagome rolled to check the time on her clock. There was almost twenty minutes left before her alarm was to go off. She had a couple options and one choice to make. Did she pretend that nothing happened? Go for a run, get ready for school, attend her classes and move forward in life like the previous evening was nothing more than a vivid nightmare? Did she stay in bed, fake illness? Her mom wouldn't question her. It would be so easy.

But Kagome knew herself, better than she liked to most days. As tense and terrifying as getting up was, lying in bed was going to make her anxiety run rampant. All she would think about were the monsters. There would be no answers for her; nothing more than a white ceiling that would remain unchanged. She needed to get up. She needed to do things, keep her mind busy. If she had questions about this, she needed to talk to someone who wouldn't think she was nuts.

There was only one place Miroku Tsujitani would be.

Her alarm blared to life, a high-pitched awful thing that made her jump even though she knew it was coming. She rolled out of bed and turned it off, feeling every muscle in her body tense with the thought of what was coming next. She didn't want to do this. She didn't want to get out of bed and leave her room. Her plan was smarter, but hell, it was scary too. Kagome could feel the jitters in her system, the fluttering of her stomach and tightening of her chest. Anxiety was going to be a constant, unshakeable companion today.

Changing into jogging pants and a t-shirt was automatic. She grabbed the hair elastic and put up her hair as she quietly went downstairs to the main level. Her mother was already up, tea in hand as she read a paperback at the kitchen table. She gave a smile and Kagome desperately threw one on her face, disappearing from sight as fast as possible because she knew it wasn't real enough. Her mother knew her too well, had watched anxiety cling to her bones for years. Mama Higurashi was no fool.

The runners were by the door and she made quick work of them, getting outside of the house as fast as possible. The air was brisker than usual for the fall; goosebumps ran up her arms enough to make her shiver. Automatically she went towards the path to the forest, not realizing her mistake until the trees loomed ahead, rustling with the breeze. For the first time ever, Kagome slowed down and stared, heart racing. The forest had never looked so terrifying to her before.

Kagome turned around and ran around the front of the property instead. It was laughable really, the effort she was going to, trying to keep things normal. Things weren't normal. Her ankle started to protest and Kagome remembered with a flinch what had happened. The nighttime had made it better but running so aggressively was stirring the pain back up. She stopped, taking pressure off her foot.

Now what?

It had barely been ten minutes. Her mother would know something was up if she returned now. The ankle was a decent excuse but… Kagome couldn't help the way her brown eyes sought out the forest, at the trees with leaves turning to yellows and reds. Would the monster still be there, dead on the ground? Would it look like a fight had gone down with broken branches and grooves of dirt along the trail? Or would it look like any other morning, a safe haven that calmed her mind?

She could feel her chest tighten but her footsteps were sure. Kagome's hands clenched into fists as she drew closer to the tree line. Everything was like it was. Everything was normal.

But what had occurred last night was far from that truth.

She had to know. Kagome took a deep breath and started a slow, jogging pace. Her ankle protested but she refused to give in. It wasn't that bad. Not like a dead monster with blank, beady eyes bleeding out onto the forest floor. The thought alone made her head spin, made her throat constrict like it wanted to cut off her air supply. Taking in another deep breath, she used her breathing tricks to keep it as even and steady as possible.

Kagome had to know. She had to.

The deeper into the forest she went, the harder she looked for the signs. A part of her was surprised when she saw them, a slash of twigs brushed to the side where she skidded as she fell. A broken branch, thick and full of leaves that had barely changed to autumn colours. It happened. The porcelain monster from last night had been there. It had wanted to eat her. It had stared at her with black eyes and fanged teeth, and it had wanted to devour her.

And then the red-eyed man came, looking more human but sounding nothing but feral.

Inuyasha had been his name. Miroku knew him.

Kagome stopped, trying to steady her breathing. It was hard for reasons besides her running. She stared at the forest floor, a place that for some reason looked particularly undisturbed. But she knew.

The monster had died here. Kagome remembered all of the blood. And yet, it was gone.

It was like in that moment, a calmness settled around her. There was no tightening in her chest; in fact, it was like she could breathe again. She let her eyes roam the forest floor, the roots and bark of the trees that surrounded and covered her from the rising sun. The monster was real. She hadn't imagined it.

And she needed answers.

Gingerly, she walked back to the house, her ankle too sore from pushing it like she had. The air was brisk for the morning and she couldn't help the shiver that ran through her body as she left the woods, the wind rustling her ponytail. Pretty soon she was going to have to bundle up for her morning runs, something she always hated.

The house was significantly warmer but the silence of it was deafening. The shudder of the front door was loud enough that before her running shoes were off, her mother was standing a few feet away, worried expression etched on her face.

"What happened?" her mother asked, familiar dark brown eyes roaming up and down her body, checking for injury.

"Nothing big, just twisted my ankle a bit," Kagome replied, unable to even look at her properly. Jesus, this was hard. "I didn't want to push it." Complete lies. How long would she be able to keep this to herself?

"Want me to get some ice?" It wasn't really a question because her mother was already heading back into the kitchen, fetching it. Kagome's heart squeezed and didn't relax in her chest.

"I'm going to take a shower," she said from her position at the doorway. "I'll come back down for the ice." There was a hum of acknowledgement so she made her way up the stairs. Each step made her wince but Kagome pushed through it, putting as much weight as she could on the bannister. She would have to do a better job hiding it from her mother. She didn't want her to worry.

There were too many other things to hide, as of less than twelve hours ago.

Kagome tried to forget about them, forget about the look of concern on her mother's face. The steam from the shower wasn't enough to cloud any of it.

* * *

School was a twenty-two minute walk away but her mother took one look at her ankle and refused to let her go like that. "I'll drive you," she insisted. "Just let me make sure your brother is getting ready." His elementary classes didn't start until an hour after hers so Kagome nodded tightly and shifted her backpack better onto her shoulders.

The ride over was quiet with her mom singing softly to the radio while Kagome thought of a hundred different ways to ask her about the believability of monsters. None of the conversations ended up going well, no matter how she started.

"Are you okay?"

Blinking, she looked over at her mother, noting the concerned scrunch of her forehead even as she watched the road. "Yeah, no I'm okay, Mama."

"You're quieter than usual. Is your ankle bothering you that much? I can excuse you from classes."

No. No, she needed to find Miroku and talk to him. It was her only opportunity to learn more, to find out how she could get any sort of evidence to rid the forest of these things for good. "Oh, no I'm good. Sorry, I just didn't sleep that well."

Another frown on her mother's face. Lying shouldn't be this hard. "You went to bed so early last night."

"The run took it out of me."

Her mother was no idiot and she turned those dark brown eyes, so familiar and like her own, onto her sharply. "You shouldn't run so much. Is the stress really so bad already? The school year only recently started."

Being only one month into the school year didn't mean the gossip wasn't already peaking. In fact, the rumour mill still wasn't over who had gained or lost weight over the summer. Who had become super-hot and who apparently had a nervous breakdown. Who had a crush on who. Who Kagome should be flirting with or not flirting with, and what was wrong with her for not reciprocating anyways? Hojo Ueda was incredibly sweet, cute and above her league. She should be chomping at the bit.

"I'm okay, Mama. Promise." Kagome gave her the most sincere smile that she could muster. "I just need a couple good nights of sleep and a solid weekend of homework catch-up. I'll be fine."

It looked like her mother wanted to say more but they had already pulled up to the school, students loitering on the sidewalk and the around the front doors. Kagome grabbed her backpack and opened the door, waving and taking off as fast as possible. There was still some time to find Miroku, although she had never tried to search the guy out before.

Her locker was her first stop. Unloading her textbooks and switching everything out for her first two classes of the day. The halls were slowly filling with students, the noise growing louder as the minutes ticked down. Where would she find Miroku? He was a senior, but the classes were scattered throughout Sakura High School. There was no way to pinpoint where he'd be.

Walking around was as good of an idea as any, though she didn't like it. Zipping up her bag she took off towards her class, keeping her dark eyes open. She wandered the halls, taking the long way around hoping to catch a glimpse of the dark-haired man. The high school was large though, with two floors and classes spanning the entire length of the building. The chances of finding Miroku were small. With a sigh, Kagome entered her homeroom and sat down.

She needed to come up with a plan. Something to distract her, at least. Something useful. If she couldn't find Miroku roaming the halls, there had to be another way to get a hold of him. She wasn't friends with him on any social media but she could always try to find him. He may not even have it.

The girl though, the one he always hung out with. They didn't share any classes but maybe… Maybe there was a better chance of finding her.

The bell rung the moment her friend Ayumi Okamoto sat down beside her. Out of all of Kagome's friends, she was the quietest. She kept a lot of things to herself but Kagome was pretty sure she was the smartest out of everyone. She was sweet, with shoulder-length black hair and a nice smile. Kagome never told anyone about her anxiety but she was pretty sure Ayumi knew, or at least had an idea. The girl went out of her way sometimes to distract Kagome when things seemed to be overwhelming.

"Good morning," Kagome murmured, waving gently. "How are you?"

"Pretty well, but it's still morning." Ayumi gave her a soft smile and shook her head. "We couldn't find you earlier. Eri had something to tell you."

Eri Masuda always had something to tell Kagome, namely about one Hojo Ueda. She couldn't stop the way her face scrunched up, irritated. "Can she not care about my dating life?"

"She just wants what's best for you," Ayumi said gently, shrugging. "She can be a little much. Yuka eggs her on though."

"None of you have boyfriends," Kagome groaned. "Why me?"

Whatever answer her friend was going to give, it was cut off by the announcement for the anthem about to play, the music slowly filling the PA system. Everyone stood up and Kagome stared straight ahead, wondering to herself how she was going to distract her friends from this. Not from Hojo, but from _last night_. From monsters.

Because while her friends meant well, if they didn't believe her about her feelings towards Hojo, then they definitely wouldn't believe her story about the previous night. It flashed through her mind: the running, the branches snapping, the fear crawling up her spine like spiders. Then there was blood red eyes and screaming, so much screaming.

The scratching of chairs along the floor startled her back into the present, the anthem having long finished. Students were starting to quietly chat, the homeroom teacher rather lenient as long as it wasn't disruptive. School news and updates droned through the speaker.

"… _will face The Warriors this Thursday…"_

"You okay?" Ayumi asked suddenly, leaning slightly to press her shoulder into Kagome's. It was a friendly offering, her soft smile just as gentle as always. "You seem distracted."

"I slept terribly," Kagome lied, although it wasn't too far from the truth. "I'm just really tired."

"… _if the social committee could please meet in the library after school for…"_

"You don't have archery practice tonight, right?"

Shaking her head in response, Kagome briefly wondered how she'd make it through the day. She hadn't found Miroku and now all she was going to think about was last night, about the monsters and the blood. She should have stayed home. "No, that's Thursday. Hopefully I get a better sleep. I'll go to bed early."

"Drink some chamomile tea," Ayumi suggested, always so thoughtful.

"… _attending the funeral needs to provide their permission slip to Attendance before…"_

"Yeah, there should be some at home. My mom's addicted."

Ayumi grinned, just as the speaker announced their well-wishes for the day and for classes to begin. The teacher stood up, marker at the ready in front of the board. He was older, hair balding with salt and pepper tufts sticking out at the sides. His cardigans were stretched and trousers in need of pressing, but rumpled as he was, Mr. Myoga Ogata was one of the best teachers the school had for Literacy. Stacks of old books crowded his desk, some caked with dust and others dog-eared from use.

"Class, let's get back to where we were. Books out, page 217. Themes, ladies and gentlemen. That's what we will be discussing in great length today."

Kagome put her head in her hand, trying not to sigh. Her only other chance to find Miroku was at lunch or after school. Lunch would be the best bet but hopefully – _hopefully_ – that girl in her grade wouldn't be there. Talking about monsters was bad enough without an audience.

* * *

She couldn't find Miroku Tsujitani anywhere.

Frustrated, Kagome held her books closer to her chest as students made a last ditch effort to catch their bus. He should have been easy to find – tall, blue eyes, dark hair, handsome – but he hadn't been at the cafeteria during lunch or wandering the halls. Unless Miroku was purposefully avoiding her, and doing a really good job of it, then she should have easily found him.

Now, all Kagome wanted to do was go home. Today had felt endless and with each passing minute, anxiety built up her in chest, threatening to claw its way out. It made her shake, made her want to hide in the bathroom and cry until all the bad images went away. Was she crazy? Did last night actually happen or was it all some messed up dream?

Her mother had thankfully texted her mid-day, asking how her ankle was and if she needed a ride home. In all truth, Kagome hadn't noticed any pain as long as she didn't leave it sitting funny during class but the last thing she needed was twenty-two minutes alone with her thoughts on the walk home. It would only work her up more, driving her insane with possibilities and what ifs.

Yuka and Eri had tried during lunch to talk to her, about Hojo and the upcoming charity dance and even archery, but Kagome had only been able to stare at the spot Miroku normally sat with that girl. It was empty, unused, and for some reason caused a hollow ache in her chest. Better for the anxiety to bury its way in, delve deeper than before. After the third question involving Hojo's name, Kagome had made some terrible excuse and left in a daze, deciding that searching the halls was a far better option.

Ayumi smiled at her after school but pointedly dragged Yuka and Eri in the other direction, letting Kagome keep her peace for a few hours longer. Tomorrow, there wouldn't be any escape. The thought made her frown and unfortunately that was the face her mother saw, the SUV pulling up at the most inconvenient time.

"Kagome?" she asked, concern lacing every syllable. "What's wrong, sweetie?"

Shaking her head, she got inside the vehicle and did her best to settle, dragging her backpack into the space between her feet. "Just tired," she lied, doing her best to force eye contact. Avoiding her mother's kind eyes would only set off alarm bells. "I think I'm going to have a nap after dinner."

Her mother hummed but the lines on her forehead didn't lessen any. Kagome felt guilty and started to play with the radio, hoping for a distraction. Turned out that when monsters were involved, not much counted.

* * *

Kagome should never have come to school.

Everything felt off. She had woken up in a panic, the alarm blaring and sending her mind into a frantic terror. Her ankle was fine but one look at the outdoors had anxiety clawing its way up her throat. It was like the stress of the attack from two days ago finally caught up to her. It was…awful. She couldn't let her mother know though, not when the whole event seemed less and less real with each hour that passed by. More now than ever before, Kagome was desperate to find Miroku and speak to him. If anything, he could prove that this was all some messed up dream and that she needed serious help.

That was the best case scenario.

But again, just like yesterday, the blue-eyed student wasn't there. She couldn't find him in the halls and a cursory glance at the cafeteria showed his usual table to be clear once again. The girl he was always with – the one in Kagome's grade – was also nowhere to be seen.

Whenever she wasn't in class, Kagome hid out in a bathroom stall, trying to get a focus on her breathing. Ayumi had sent a worried glance her way during first period, but Kagome couldn't exactly explain what was going on. No one would believe her.

Her last class of the day was history and the teacher was more interested in telling long stories that didn't have much to do with the curriculum. Everyone knew that listening in class was the least effective way to get a good mark, which meant that Kagome's mind was free to focus on other things, like pale, porcelain skin and beady black eyes.

 _I can feel it within you._

So close, oh god it had been so close. The monster's body, so long with so many arms. What was it? How did it have that kind of power, that kind of ability to move the way that it did?

 _I always know where it is and now this land is free to roam and destroy._

What was it even talking about? Kagome could feel the spit landing on her face as the monster hissed at her. And the blood. There had been so much blood.

 _It's in you, girl, and I must have it._

"Kagome?"

Blinking, she snapped back to reality and stared at where the voice came from. Of course, the second she recognized what was happening, her heart sank. This was the last thing she needed. "Hi Hojo," she greeted, trying her best to sound happier than she was. Apparently they were all to settle down and do some coursework from the text, but most students were gathering in groups to complete the questions. Hojo, in all his sweetness, came to sit with her.

"Are you feeling okay?" he asked, blue eyes staring intently at her. "You look pale."

"It's nothing," Kagome answered, desperately mustering up whatever enthusiasm she could. "I think I may be coming down with something. Probably small."

Hojo lit up and she knew in that moment it was the wrong thing to say. He was the kindest of souls, Hojo was, but he could talk about healthy lifestyles and natural home remedies until the cows came home. And it was…not what she needed right now. Too late, the sandy-haired boy started telling her about multiple things she could try to feel better and Kagome nodded along.

 _It's in you, girl, and I must have it._

She tried to focus more on Hojo and the coursework but it was a lost cause. Even when the final bell rang, Kagome tried as kindly as she could to leave Hojo's side and escape to her locker. She needed to think about different things. Not monsters or boy trouble or nosy friends that didn't know when to quit. She needed to focus on something good. Something fun.

Kagome stared into her locker for a few moments, thinking. When was the last time she did something… _fun_? The summer, probably, before school started. She, Sota and Mama had gone on a day trip to a massive park on the edge of the neighbouring city. The park hosted large, grandiose fountains and always had some form of entertainment, like jugglers or dancers or magicians. There were groups of people doing yoga and, if you travelled further towards a massive playground for young ones, there were people making animal balloons and families flying kites. They had all gotten ice cream and watched the families and friends mill about, going on with their lives. The sun had been shining and everything had felt so warm.

Slamming her locker closed, Kagome figured that her walk home would be best served coming up with another idea for a family outing. Get away from school and drama and all the anxieties that tied her to the little town of Sakura. Shouldering her way past students waiting in line for the busses, Kagome followed the gravel pathway along the road. She thought of maybe going to the movies, or of finding some kind of festival in a nearby town that they could drive too. Her mother liked jazz music; maybe there would be something like that happening within the next month or so. The weather would hopefully be warm enough.

She was so distracted in her thoughts that it took a few minutes to realize a car was pulling over against the curb, its four-ways on and slowing right beside her. Kagome eyed the sleek black car, her steps only faltering the moment she saw the passenger.

Miroku. It was _Miroku_.

Before she could open her mouth, the senior student got out and leaned against the door, watching her with dark blue eyes. "Kagome, right?" he asked again, exactly the same as last time. It was almost like a gesture of kindness, an offering to back out and play dumb. But Kagome didn't want to play dumb. Her heart was in her throat and her chest grew tight, fear making her grip the straps of her backpack until she was white-knuckled.

When it was clear he wasn't going to say anything more, Kagome nodded, eyes never straying from his face. He wasn't giving anything away; his face was a mask, so strange compared to the joyfulness she'd seen in the hallways at school.

"I think we should talk," Miroku continued finally, gesturing towards the car.

That was…an odd offering. Kagome frowned but took a step closer. "Is it true?" she asked, unable to hold the words back. "Are they–" She couldn't say the word _monster_ out loud. "Are they real?"

Miroku's mask cracked, or maybe it hadn't been a mask to begin with. Suddenly, the senior was giving a small smile and then patted the hood of the car. "We definitely need to talk."

His hand motion on the car drew her attention and quickly, her dark gaze snapped to the driver, a face she hadn't bothered to look at before now. Miroku had been her sole focus for so long.

And when she saw him, she nearly tripped backwards in her haste to get away. Her mouth was open, a silent scream that she likely couldn't get out, no matter how much she would want to. Because it was him. It was the guy – the monster – the one who had saved her.

Red eyes that bled into gold.

And he was still alive.

* * *

 **Feedback is love.**


	2. Chapter 2

**Author's Note: Firstly, please see my note on my profile with regards to the 12 Days of Witchyness. Secondly, you are all so unbelievably kind to me. What have I done to deserve you?**

* * *

 **That Flesh of Mine**

 **Chapter Two**

 _Well there's talking, talking, talking but who of them knows how to keep from killing, everybody's how it goes. I try to understand it, yeah I try not to lose. But can you really win when you must pick and choose?_

 _(Who, The Sheepdogs)_

* * *

Sango was going to murder them. It was the only thought ringing in his head, along with her scowl and bloodshot eyes. This was a bad idea. A stupid idea. At the first chance he could get, Inuyasha Taisho was going to go against the so-called bro code Miroku instated and throw the guy under the bus. Because this? Inuyasha knew bad ideas and this was one of them.

"Stop your glaring," Miroku scolded. "And slow down, will you? At this rate, we'll get to the school before it even ends."

His eyes, a golden colour he never had an easy time with, glanced down towards the speedometer. He was driving fast but that wasn't unusual. Inuyasha had little patience on a good day. On a day like today, where they were going behind Sango's back and following a stupid plan Miroku concocted? His patience was practically non-existent. It was almost a challenge, forcing his foot to ease off the pedal and for his hands to unclench the steering wheel. He didn't unclench his jaw though. A point had to be made.

Miroku, of course, picked up on it. The teen frowned, brow furrowed as he assessed him. It was one of those looks that could break every bodily reaction down. His mother had done the same thing, before. Inuyasha had hated it then and he hated it now. "You don't agree with me," Miroku said slowly, as if piecing the words together bit-by-bit. "You think this is a bad idea."

 _No shit_ , he wanted to growl out. It _was_ a bad idea. The worst, especially because of all the fucked up crap that they'd been going through the past four days. Four days and Miroku was already pulling a stunt like this. Asato Houko would never had allowed such a thing.

He could tell the blue-eyed teen was getting frustrated, but the tell wasn't in his face, like almost everyone else. Miroku's right hand twitched, curled in on itself against his jeans. Ghost pains, he called it sometimes, self-deprecating. "She's going to tell someone," Miroku stated calmly, eyes never leaving Inuyasha's face. "Or, she'll keep her mouth shut. Either way, no matter how she handles it, she's going to come to us demanding answers. Plus, I know her from school. She's smart."

"There's smart, and then there's smart for _this_." It was the first thing he had said all car ride. Miroku's tiny smile proved it. "Very few people can deal with it."

"Kagome already has, unless you forgot," Miroku pointed out. "And instead of running, she saved your life."

"Saved my life," Inuyasha mocked, growling. "I fucking told you, she got in the way far more–"

"You're chattier when experiencing blood loss. It's a sad fact, but true." Miroku frowned again, staring ahead at the road. The school was barely within view. "Keep going. She walks this way, towards the south part of the forest."

Inuyasha switched to the right lane and tried not to glower too much. He remembered, though it was hazy, what he said in the woods that night. How that stupid girl threw a damn stick at a demon, trying to distract it like a feeble child. It never should have worked. Inuyasha should be dead. It was irritating though that Miroku knew. Bad enough that his friend had followed him, that Miroku had almost seen him as… Well, as demonic as he got. He hadn't breathed a word about his loss of control but that was surely going to come out against his best wishes.

"There," Miroku announced, pointing towards a girl with familiar, long black hair. "Can you pull over?"

Barely restraining himself from rolling his eyes, Inuyasha turned on his four-ways and drifted towards the curb. There were busses coming and going, but otherwise the street wasn't overly busy. He kept an eye on his rear-view mirror though, tugging the baseball hat he wore down a little better. He hated the damn thing.

Even if he hadn't wanted to, Inuyasha would've been hard pressed to not hear what was going on. Miroku left the door open and stood just inside of it, acting all calm and cool when he most certainly wasn't. As it stood, Inuyasha did want to know. He shifted his gaze out the windshield, taking in the face that was both familiar and foreign at the same time. He remembered her, vividly, the way her brown eyes had widened in absolute fear the first time she saw him. How her hands had scrabbled against his body, trying to get away from him and the centipede demon both.

At this very moment, she didn't look very different. Clearly troubled though and exhausted. It didn't take a genius to see that she wasn't sleeping properly, probably strung out on the knowledge that demons were real. For the first time all day, Inuyasha didn't hate Miroku's plan. Maybe it was for the best.

And then she locked eyes with him.

He could see it, the way her entire body trembled in shock. She took a step back and stumbled slightly, barely catching herself. Her lips were parted, a gasp or the start of a scream, Inuyasha didn't know. He gave a warning growl, only loud enough for Miroku to hear. Her screaming so close to the school would draw unnecessary attention to themselves and that went against Inuyasha's very being. Living the way he was, the cops were at the very top of things he never wanted to deal with.

"Kagome," Miroku said firmly. It was enough to break whatever kind of panic she was spiralling into. The girl blinked her big brown eyes and shifted focus, even if only for a second, towards him. "We should really talk. Get in the car, please. We'll go somewhere quiet."

A bad plan. A stupid plan. Inuyasha looked out the driver side window, forcing his glare outwards rather than at the scene before him. While the whole thing was poorly concocted, this was without a doubt the worst part. Surely, this Kagome girl would never join them, not after she had witnessed him again.

 _What are you?_ She had asked him, terrified, back in the forest. It had been like a goddamn prayer. She had just begged him – his demonic side, the very worst part of him – to let her help, to let her take care of him. And it– Inuyasha shook his head, trying to ignore it.

The rear car door opened and Inuyasha froze. She was getting in. The stupid girl was actually entering their car, looking for answers. He didn't dare look back, didn't care to check the rear-view mirror for her expression. Instead, he glanced over at Miroku who seemed overwhelmingly pleased. For a moment, Inuyasha sat there and didn't make any moves to get the car going again. Sango really was going to murder them both.

"You're not dead."

Inuyasha blinked and couldn't stop himself even if he wanted to. He turned around until he was facing her, this girl with big, tired eyes. Unsurprisingly, she seemed terrified. Her hands were in fists, white-knuckled. He could hear her heartbeat, the unsteady _thump-thump-thump_ that escalated the longer he stared. But she didn't waver in her gaze, still made a point to look him directly in the eye. Her breathing grew faster. "No," he answered eventually. "It's pretty hard to kill me."

She dropped his gaze then, staring down at her hands. A shaky breath echoed in the car and Inuyasha couldn't watch any longer. He turned back around and pulled out onto the road, removing his four-ways. If Kagome was this scared but still in the car, then grudgingly Inuyasha could admit to himself Miroku's plan was for the best. Surely this girl would have gone looking for trouble otherwise.

"What are you?" Kagome asked, repeating the exact same words she whispered to him in the forest.

Inuyasha heard the words, fearful as they were, but when he breathed in he couldn't get a read on her emotions, too new to him to understand. It caused another problem though, one that Inuyasha immediately regretted. He tried not to flinch, keeping his eyes on the road even as the memory of that night flashed in his mind. The way she had looked at him: defiant, terrified but approaching anyways. He had lost his human side to bloodlust and anger; no one should have been able to get near him. Not Miroku or Sango. Certainly not a stranger. And _yet_. Something about her– It didn't make sense.

The longer the silence went on, he could feel Miroku's blue eyes boring into him. The fucker should be doing all the talking, not him. Not when he was in the middle of a crisis, _shit_.

Miroku must have finally gotten some sort of hint from him because he spoke, the smooth timbre of his voice almost soothing. "What do you think you saw two nights ago? In the woods?"

There was a small pause before she answered, firm. "A monster. Like some sort of snake."

"Centipede," Inuyasha corrected, mostly under his breath.

Miroku ignored him. It was his turn to look back at Kagome, to watch her reaction. "They're called demons," he explained. "They're creatures who can more or less look like anything and be either as weak as a kitten or as strong as Superman. Generally, as the name would suggest, they're evil."

For some reason, Kagome's heartrate started to slow. Inuyasha frowned but continued to drive. "How is this not something people know about?" she asked. "You would think stuff like this would be all over the news! If they're that big and weird and–"

"They're not," Miroku interrupted, shaking his head. "Demons come in all shapes and sizes. And things happen all the time but people don't look for things that come out of a storybook. If someone's been murdered, police look for other humans. They never consider the supernatural."

"So what, you guys fight them? Protect the town of Sakura in between completing homework and studying for tests?" She sounded incredulous. Inuyasha couldn't help but snort, taking in a deep breath afterwards that nearly had him choking. Christ, the scent of her. He scowled and rolled down the window, pissed off. Everyone had their own unique smell but this girl…it was like he was bathing in it. And what was worse was that he _liked it_. This had never happened, not once.

"Basically, yeah," Miroku acquiesced. "We do. Me, Inuyasha and Sango."

"The girl you're always with at school?"

Inuyasha smelled more and more of the forest, the deeper into the driveway to Sango's house they got. Her place was located at the northern-most part of Sakura's only forest, the old house built half a kilometre past the treeline. Their driveway was long and winding, the gravel crunching underneath the tires as they approached. Sango would be waiting outside. Inuyasha could feel it in his bones.

"Of course." Miroku sighed the moment she came into view, her arms crossed and expression unimpressed.

"Your funeral," Inuyasha stated bluntly. "I'm not covering for you."

"You agreed with me."

"I sure as hell did not," he argued.

Kagome leaned forward slightly, just enough that Inuyasha caught a flash of her black bangs. "What's wrong?"

"I'm about to be stabbed," Miroku admitted, grimacing. "Probably in the gut but the heart is just as likely."

Rolling his eyes, Inuyasha opened the car door and got out, immediately pointing to his friend. "Talk to him."

Sango stalked forward, all deadly grace and raging storm. Her eyes slid over Kagome before they immediately tracked to Miroku, who was getting out of the car with his hands already up in the air. "What are you _thinking_?" she demanded, distraught.

Inuyasha hid his flinch, turned away to stare deep into the woods. Sango wasn't just mad; she was _upset_. After everything, pulling a stunt like this was brutal. He listened, rather than saw, Kagome climb out from the backseat, standing beside him in such a way that Sango couldn't look at her. The girl had self-preservation skills, at least.

"Sango, please, let's talk about this," Miroku said calmly, placating. He must have been more of an idiot than usual because that tone never worked. Ever. Houko genes and placating were like oil and water.

"I don't _understand_ ," she yelled. There was the anger. "You left, you and Inuyasha, and you left your phones here so I couldn't track you and that was such an _asshole move_ –"

"I know, I know. You're right. I knew you'd be upset but we need to deal with this, Sango. You're going through so much. Let me take care of this, okay? It would have bitten us in the ass if we hadn't."

"Fuck you," Sango spat. Three angry steps forwards and then two stumbling steps backwards. She had never been scared of a fight and Miroku would never, ever raise a hand to her. Inuyasha risked a glance, saw Miroku gathering his balance back even as Sango continued to approach. "My family is _dead_ and you disappear without telling me just to _take care of something for me_? Who the fuck do you think you are?"

There was a small gasp, a realization. Kagome froze beside him. "Oh," she murmured quietly, more an exhalation than actual words. "The funeral for the family killed in the…"

"Bear attack, yeah." Inuyasha couldn't help the bitterness that bled out of his voice. Humans would believe whatever they wanted to believe.

"They were attacked by demons." Kagome didn't make it a question. She took a step closer, enough that Inuyasha was able to breathe her in. He glanced down, confusion clear in his expression against his wishes. Either she didn't believe he was a demon himself, which made no sense considering all of her questions or… He frowned. There wasn't really any other option.

"What are you doing?" he asked, unable to stop himself.

Kagome looked up, surprised, and then took a step back. "Sorry. Did I–?"

He didn't give her a chance to finish. "What do you think I am?" Inuyasha bit out. He was so confused. Sango and Miroku fighting still on the other side of the car, with Kagome's far too familiar, far too potent scent curling around him.

"I–" She shut her mouth, a shaky inhale and exhale following suit. Clearly she came to some sort of decision because she squared her shoulders and tilted her head up, looking him directly in the eye. "I don't know," Kagome replied, "but whatever you are, you still saved me."

Whatever he could've said to that – and honestly, Inuyasha wasn't sure an answer would have even come – it was never voiced. Miroku and Sango, together but both clearly unhappy, made their way over. It was Sango's voice that stole his attention, changing the conversation with a blunt question only she could ask.

"Why are you here?"

Miroku sighed but he kept his mouth shut. Kagome briefly glanced his way before probably realizing he wouldn't be any help. She didn't bother to look at Inuyasha. "I needed to know I wasn't going crazy," she explained. "After the attack in the woods, I just– I was so sure it happened but then I didn't see Miroku at school yesterday and it was suddenly so much harder to have faith. That I didn't just make it up." She crossed her arms, hands gripping her own biceps as if she could hug herself. "And he was right. No one else would believe me."

Sango stared at her for a moment, hard, before she sighed and gestured towards the house. "Come on. Do you want some tea?"

"That would be great, thanks."

Inuyasha watched as the three of them turned towards the house. The breeze stirred up and the trees danced in response, curling towards the building as if protecting it. He didn't know what that meant and didn't understand how they ended up here. But something was changing. The moment the Houko family had been wiped out on what should have been an easy hunt four days ago, a war had begun.

Miroku had a point in all of this, even if it was bad timing.

Following them into the house, Inuyasha made his way into the kitchen while the rest of them headed into the living room. Sango was utter crap at anything involving an appliance and Miroku was undoubtedly not going to leave Kagome's side. That left him with making tea. He hated tea.

It wasn't hard to listen in on their conversation while he filled the kettle, ears now free thanks to removing the baseball cap the second he stepped indoors. They were talking kindly enough but someone was still upset, heartrate significantly higher than everyone else's. It was likely Sango's or Kagome's, though if he had to make a bet it wouldn't be hard to choose.

"So you're the girl from the woods," Sango said. He heard the creaking of the leather couch as they sat down.

"Yeah. I run through those woods a lot but this was the first time…" She trailed off. "If, uh, Inuyasha hadn't come then I would've died."

Mistress Centipede – the name Miroku had given her after-the-fact, trying to lighten the mood while Inuyasha's body healed itself at the base of the tree – had been strangely focused on Kagome. Inuyasha leaned against the counter, trying to think back on it because it _was_ strange. The demon had crossed into Sakura from the east, but instead of continuing straight to the west where the main town was, she had gone south. To Kagome. He had tried to fight her off but–

The kettle flicked off, ready, and so Inuyasha poured the tea. The other three were still in the other room, talking. Grabbing the three cups and ignoring the burn on his fingers, he took them into the living room.

The second he was in sight, Kagome watched him enter before looking away. "I still can't believe you and your family fought them all this time." She winced, hands clenching convulsively in her lap. It made him want to touch her, which was absolutely the worst thing he could do. Inuyasha sat down in one of the chairs, furthest away from her.

Sango gave her a tight smile. "Family business," she explained. "My brother and I started training basically when we were little. It was a lot of foam swords at first." She took a deep breath, nose going red the way it usually did when she wanted to cry. She rarely did though. "We protect Sakura from demonic attacks, help out other demon slayer clans in other towns or cities if need be."

"So there's a family like yours in every city?" Kagome seemed incredulous. "How is this something kept so tightly under wraps?"

"You'd be surprised," Miroku replied. "And no, not every city. Just ones that have higher demonic activity."

"My parents actually moved here to settle down," Sango said. She took a sip of the tea before continuing, "Sakura wasn't always like this. But it's all I've ever known."

Miroku nodded. "Generally, this town is safe but with everything that happened… Demons think they can just come in now that it's slayer-free. That's not true and we'll make sure they know it soon enough. We have it under control. If you want, we can give you our numbers in case you spot something or anything suspicious happens. You can still run in the forest, we'll make sure it's safe for you."

"Thanks," Kagome replied. "I appreciate it but I'm not sure I could ever go back in those woods and not–" She paused. "And not remember."

Inuyasha watched the myriad of expressions that flitted across her face. She was overwhelmed but anyone would be. He wasn't lying when he said it took a special kind of person to deal with this. Miroku exchanging numbers would be a good first step though, to helping her live with a knowledge she couldn't share with anyone.

"What can I do?"

The question itself was enough to startle him. More so was the way she said it, so confidently compared to the way she was sitting. "What?" he asked, unable to stop the question from leaving his mouth.

Sango and Miroku looked just as startled. "What do you mean?" Miroku asked, leaning forwards.

"I mean, what can I do to stop the demons from getting into our town?" Kagome shrugged. "Is there a special way to kill them?"

"No," replied Sango, faintly. "It's just a hell of a lot harder. But I've trained my whole life. Miroku, too. Humans can't just kill them. You'd be a liability."

It was the last word. Inuyasha could see the second it was said, how Kagome's entire demeanour changed. She shook her head. "No. I–" Whatever she was going to say was cut off by the sound of her phone vibrating. "Shit."

Miroku raised a brow at him, surprise still on his face. Inuyasha understood. This girl was something else entirely. She was fearful but defiant, wavering but direct.

"Mama, I'm so sorry," Kagome gushed the second she answered the call.

Her mother was clearly upset on the other end. " _Where are you? I got so worried, are you okay?_ "

"I'm fine, sorry, I forgot to tell you I was hanging out with friends after school." Kagome bit her lower lip, grimacing at herself.

" _Kagome_." There was a heavy weight to the words, one that immediately fell onto the black-haired girl's shoulders. A sigh from the other line. " _Your brother has soccer so we need to leave. You have a ride home, right?_ "

"Uh."

Inuyasha swore internally. "Yeah, I'll drive you." He didn't want to. He didn't want to lock himself back up in that car with her scent again. It was bad enough in the living room.

"Yeah Mom, I have a ride." Kagome gave him a weird look, but nodded.

" _We're talking when I get back. This isn't like you._ "

"I know. I'm sorry." There was another sigh, but they were saying their goodbyes and Inuyasha didn't bother to focus on that part of the conversation.

"Did you need me to pick anything up while I'm gone?" he asked Sango.

She shook her head, cradling her tea. "No, but maybe ask Mushin. He had to pack quickly to get here. Maybe he's missing something."

"I'll check," Miroku said, groaning as he stood up. "I should make sure he's okay anyways. Kagome, is everything alright?"

She was off the phone now, picking at her sweater. "Yeah, I'm good." She raised a brow in his direction. "You could hear that whole conversation?"

"Hard not to," Inuyasha said, voice rougher than he meant. He crossed his arms and refused to think about the fact that it felt defensive. Irritated with himself, he pointed to his ears. No words were necessary.

She huffed, averting her eyes. "Are you okay to drive me?"

He wanted to say no, but there wasn't another option. All of them were too young to drive and he had already said he would. "Yeah, whatever. Miroku!" he yelled. "Anything?"

Turned out there was nothing. Before Inuyasha could even prepare himself, he and Kagome were outside, heading towards the car in silence while he put on his hat. He glared at the sky, taking in a deep breath of air that smelled of the forest. He got in the car before he could walk away.

Kagome gave him a small smile the second he was situated. Inuyasha found it to be completely unnerving, and he had faced demons that were three times his size. This girl was something else. "What?" he snapped. Better turn the car on quickly or he was going to leave. Christ, he should have stopped Miroku's plan. What a dumb plan.

"So what are you?" she asked, watching him intently. "I've asked several times and somehow never get an answer."

For a good reason. "You don't want to know," he muttered. He pretended driving was much harder than it was, focusing on the three-point-turn to turn them around.

"You're not human," Kagome stated. "So you're either a demon with an identity crisis, or something else. Your eyes were red."

Inuyasha should have just backed out of the entire driveway backwards. Maybe he could've avoided this whole start to the conversation. "Red eyes doesn't mean something demonic. Mistress Centipede had black eyes."

Huffing, Kagome glared at him. "Can't you just give me a straight answer?"

"Rather not." Shit, the whole car was filled with her scent. What the fuck was happening? Inuyasha rolled down the window slightly, frustrated and unsure how to deal with it.

"Well, we're in this car together so you might as well."

Inuyasha smirked at her. "I can kick you out."

That shut her up. Her glare didn't lessen but her mouth remained closed. The smell in the car shifted, but he couldn't tell how. All he knew was that it wasn't fear, and that alone was different.

She had to direct him where to go. The words were short but not clipped. She wasn't angry then. The way she sank into the seat with her backpack on her lap reminded him of the way Sango got after a trip to another town, fighting off demons that one family alone couldn't handle. It was exhaustion. It was something else he couldn't name.

It took a bit over twenty minutes to get there. Inuyasha hated the radio and Kagome didn't open her mouth other than to point out where he needed to go. Everything was just…weird.

"Take the next right and then follow it all the way down. My house is at the end; can't miss it." Kagome gave him a tired smile and clutched her backpack tighter.

"Is," Inuyasha started, surprised and somewhat horrified that he even spoke at all, "is your mom going to be mad?"

"You heard her," she answered, shrugging. "Probably. She knows something is wrong with me. I'm exhausted because I can't really sleep, but all she thinks I do is sleep. My running schedule has been off."

"It's best if she doesn't know." Inuyasha winced, thinking back. "It only ever equates to two things: either the person never leaves the house again, or they start searching for demons on their own. Both are bad."

"That's why you sought me out then."

"Why Miroku did, yeah." He felt the need to correct her because he had nothing to do with it. The scent in the car shifted again, her knuckles now white from clenching the straps of her knapsack. What was this girl's deal?

"You can pull up on the driveway. No one's home," she said. "Thanks for the ride."

He didn't want to say anything. He didn't want to ask more questions. Likely, and unless she started talking to Miroku and Sango at school, he wouldn't see her again. It was for the best anyways. There was something about her that was different and Inuyasha didn't like different. Things in his life had shifted enough, thanks.

But the moment her hand touched the door handle to get out, Inuyasha found himself speaking. "I'm not a demon." The words came out thick, heavy. He so rarely spoke about this, it was almost surreal to be doing so now.

Kagome shrugged and didn't look back at him. Maybe she knew if she did, he'd never say more. He didn't want to say more. "It's fine," she replied. "I don't–"

"I'm half." Saying it made him actually freeze. He hadn't explained it in so long. He looked out the windshield, took in the old house where she apparently lived. "My mother was human." There was so much to the story that he didn't even know himself, and surely opening this door would mean having to explain. How his parents got together. What that meant for demonkind. Why he used the past tense. What happened.

Slowly, Kagome shifted so that she could look at him again. The small smile was there, as tired as ever. "You still saved my life."

He nodded, even though saving her life was more of a side-effect of killing the centipede demon. "I'm not–"

"I know," she cut him off. "Thanks again for the ride." This time, when she touched the door handle she actually opened it. The girl left with only a single backwards glance as she opened the door to her house. There wasn't a wave, not even another smile.

Her scent was still heavy in the car. Inuyasha rolled down the windows completely.

She was something else.

* * *

Unsurprisingly, Miroku and Sango were fighting when he returned. They'd been doing that a lot lately.

"This is the last thing you should have done," Sango said harshly, glaring at him. "Especially without talking to me first."

"You need time to breathe," Miroku replied. In contrast, his tone was softer, gaze no less direct. "Sango, you just went through–"

"I know what I went through!" Sango yelled. "I sure as hell don't need you to keep reminding me. And you are _not_ the leader of this household. You _do not_ make decisions without me, got it?"

Miroku didn't respond. He stared at her, big blue eyes wide and sad. Inuyasha couldn't see her expression, but he could see the way her body was panting, heaving up and down.

"Whatever," Sango snapped, whirling on her heel and heading down the hallway towards the bedrooms.

Inuyasha watched her go before glancing at Miroku. His face was contorted, a mixture of unhappiness and frustration in every line of his body. "You okay?"

His friend didn't reply right away. "She has a lot going on. A lot to work through." It wasn't an answer but it was all he'd get.

"She'll get there," Inuyasha stated. "She's not exactly the sharing type so we can't expect her to be different."

Miroku sighed loudly, shoulders falling lower than he'd ever seen them. "I know. How'd the drive go?"

Terribly. He spoke about things he hadn't wanted to. "Fine."

"Hopefully this helps her," Miroku said, shaking his head. "The last thing we need is some teenager running into danger they don't know anything about. She has our number. If anything happens, she can call us. Otherwise, hopefully this is the end of it."

 _You're a teenager_ , Inuyasha didn't say. To be honest, Sango and Miroku, while 16 and 17 respectfully, didn't act as such. Knowing about demons did that to a person. Still, even as Miroku spoke the words, Inuyasha knew he was very, very wrong. "I don't think this is going to be the end of it."

"What makes you say that?"

Inuyasha frowned, sitting down on the couch. "Just… Something. Dropping her off I figured I'd never see her again. But when she got out, it didn't seem like the last time. Kagome doesn't seem like the kind of girl to let something this big go."

"You saw her like I did, in this room," Miroku stated incredulously. "The girl was shaking. She was terrified."

Not really. Inuyasha could smell fear, regardless if he knew the person or not. Other emotions – the little nuances of a person's behaviour – were harder to suss out. What Kagome smelled like in this living room wasn't fear. It was something else entirely. "She's wasn't," was all he argued, shaking his head.

"Well, then Sango really will murder me." Miroku rolled his eyes.

Inuyasha didn't outwardly react but secretly, he agreed.

* * *

The woods were silent.

Inuyasha ran, feet pounding into the dirt. Leaves crunched underneath, branches snapped. The only noises made were those he created, and that was because he wasn't trying to be stealthy. The woods were his. His and the Houko family's. Them all being dead didn't change it. Demons who dared to cross thinking they'd have a chance would be sorry. This was a statement, each crash of his body jumping over a log. This was a war cry of defiance. They would not be brought down.

When he stopped long enough to take a deep breath of air, there wasn't the smell of anything but forest. There were no sounds in the distance but animals running, climbing trees.

He was alone.

Inuyasha took one last breath and then continued to run.

* * *

Inuyasha lived by a routine.

He was generally the second one up in the morning. Had it been days ago, Maiho Houko would've been in the kitchen, scrambling eggs at the stove. She'd give Inuyasha a tired nod towards the coffee pot and remain quiet. Neither of them were talkers, but especially in the morning. Now, with both her and Asato gone… Inuyasha stared at the empty spot by the stove, trying to control his face into impassiveness. This wasn't the time. He had already grieved.

"Good morning, Inuyasha."

The half-demon paused by the countertop, golden eyes going towards the old man sitting at the kitchen table. "Mushin," he greeted, before dipping into the cupboards to find the right pan. Eggs couldn't be that hard. He had watched Maiho make them hundreds of times before.

Quietly he got to work. The old man was at least silent, sipping on tea he brought from his own place. As the named guardian in Asato and Maiho Houko's will, Mushin Fujimoto had done everything he could to transfer his life to the town of Sakura. He had known the Houko family for years, as much a part of the demon slaying community as they had been. When Miroku fell into Mushin's care after his parents passed away, the old man had thought it would be best if he grew up with someone his own age, someone who understood what the real world contained. Asato had agreed.

Apparently, Asato and Mushin were closer than any of them had thought. Sure, Sango's father had forged Mushin's signature for Miroku to attend field trips and other school activities, but it had been deeper than that. None of them had known until the will was read, but Mushin's legal residency was the house they were currently living in. Things made more sense, after that, and since he was also the named legal guardian, there were less hoops to jump through.

"I'll need you to sign some papers later," Mushin said suddenly, disturbing the silence. "Transfer of ownership, for one."

The car. Right. Inuyasha poured the egg mixture into the pan, idly stirring it around. Asato used to always drive Miroku and Sango to and from school, since the closest bus stop was a twenty minute walk and neither of them could drive alone yet. Miroku would be able to take his next test soon but that was months away.

"Inuyasha?"

"Sorry," he replied, shaking out of his thoughts. He scrambled the eggs in the pan some more. "No, that's fine. Just let me know."

There were clumsy steps exiting Sango's room and heading into the bathroom. A few minutes later, more steps came from Miroku's. At least they were both getting ready.

The eggs were finished just as Sango entered the kitchen, dressed and mostly ready. She raked a hand through her long hair, still down and a little knotted. "You cooked?" she asked, staring up at him with big, magenta eyes.

Inuyasha shrugged and split up the eggs between himself, Miroku and Sango. He offered to Mushin but the old man simply waved him off, going back to his tea. Oh well, more for himself. "It's not that hard."

For a long time, Sango was quiet. As he put the pan away he could see her just staring at the food, not touching it. Inuyasha briefly wondered if making them was a bad idea but he knew Sango. He may not have lived with her and Miroku for as long, but they'd still been under the same roof for the last ten years. She was strong. This was just a reminder, but a good one. She needed to remember the good things.

"Holy crap, food. Thank god," Miroku groaned, bursting into the kitchen. He snagged the seat beside Sango like always, digging his fork into the meal within seconds.

Sango gave him a disgusted look but it did the trick. Whether intentional or not, Miroku distracted her enough that she followed suit, eating the eggs without further issue. Inuyasha didn't smile or anything, but he was pleased nonetheless.

"When do all the busses leave your school?" Inuyasha asked. There was no way in hell he could pick them all up when the place was crawling with people. He wasn't exactly hidden in the town, but Inuyasha didn't go out of his way to be seen. Silver hair and golden eyes stood out. His fangs did too. It was the little details that couldn't be ignored close-up.

"Uh, around 2:50 I think," Miroku answered. "Want to come at three? Sango and I can entertain ourselves until then."

"Whatever works."

Sango reached across the table to tap her fork on his plate, the sound almost jarring. "Are you going to be on watch while we're gone?"

Meaning, was he going to make sure no more demons were around? Obviously. Inuyasha raised a brow at her, unimpressed. "What do you think I do all day?"

She made a face back because she never backed down from anything, ever. "They think we're weak and we can't let them feel like they can get into our border."

"I know, Sango." He said this patiently, ignoring the way Miroku looked up at him.

"Mistress Centipede's been the only one so far," he stated, brushing back his bangs. "You think there will be more?"

"I know there will be," Sango replied firmly. "Dad told us that the demonic activity has been steadily getting worse in Sakura. Every year, it's like this place just becomes some beacon of evil activity."

"Should have just named this place Beacon Hills," Miroku grumbled, mostly under his breath.

Inuyasha rolled his eyes. "There aren't any hills here, don't be stupid," he commented.

"Boys, can you stay on topic?" Sango glared at them both. Somehow, she was still terrifying even as she chewed on her eggs. The woman had talent. "We just need to be on guard, that's all. If Inuyasha keeps doing surveillance while we're at school and then we do a nightly check-up, it'll be fine. As long as we continue to establish that Sakura is not a welcome place for demons, we'll be good."

The rest of breakfast was simply routine. Getting everyone in the car, putting on the stupid baseball cap he hated so much. It made his ears feel compressed and while it didn't affect his hearing really, it _felt_ like it did. It was irrational. Sango and Miroku had told him as much, even going so far as to say the hat looked good on him.

Whatever. He wasn't trying to please anyone.

Inuyasha dropped them off just before the last bell rang, when most students were already inside of the school. The drive back was easy enough and when he returned to the house, Mushin was gone, the sounds of unpacking coming from his new room. The dishes had already been cleaned so Inuyasha did what he always did: went to the forest.

It was so much better, being there than anywhere else. He never had to wear a baseball cap, and he never wore socks or shoes. Sweats and a t-shirt on, he broke into a run, feeling the grass and dirt and leaves beneath his feet. He didn't run anywhere in particular. Sakura's forest was quite large, edging into another town on the eastern border. He stretched out his legs and made the trek, ears and nose alert to anything new. It was just the same though, no matter how far he went. The scent in the air was a little heavier, the threat of rain hanging in the balance. Not today, though. Maybe overnight.

His whole day was spent in the forest. When he wasn't running, he was climbing the trees and resting on the ground. The forest was his home more than anywhere else.

Eventually, he had to go back.

Putting on socks and shoes and a hat were pieces of an armour he wore at all times to the outside world. The old BMW only hesitated slightly when he turned the ignition and the drive to the school was uneventful. Once he was there though, that's when it all changed.

It was a minute after three o'clock, and Miroku and Sango were nowhere to be found. He frowned, watching the front doors of the school intently. Grabbing his cell phone, he sent them both a text. _Where are you?_

There was only a small wait, like the barest of hesitations, before the speech bubble popped up. _Coming,_ Sango wrote. _Sorry_.

 _We'll explain_ , Miroku added, seconds later.

When the both of them walked out, they were talking animatedly to each other. Miroku looked, of all things, surprised. Sango looked determined, stubborn. She was definitely arguing with him. Inuyasha tried not to sigh. Nothing was worse than when they were fighting. It used to be a rare occurrence. Arguments, sure. But fighting? A part of him didn't want to admit it, even to himself, but when they fought it threw him off, made him agitated even though he was never involved.

"No, Miroku," Sango said firmly, before even opening the car door. "It's not happening."

"You _saw_ her!" he exclaimed back, blue eyes wide. "Why are you so against this? We're going to need some help. Mushin can barely work up a protection spell anymore. We need more than just the three of us."

Angrily, Sango opened the passenger door and got inside.

"You know I'm right," Miroku argued. "Why do you choose to keep fighting me?"

"Fighting you?" Sango asked, incredulous. "You're the one that keeps making decisions without even consulting me!"

"I was _consulting_ you right now!"

And Sango yelled something back and Miroku glared from the backseat and Inuyasha was fed up. He was done. Every part of him _hated_ this; the tension that came less than a week ago and refused to leave, to dissipate. It set him on edge.

"She is not going to be trained–"

"And good because I'm pretty sure she doesn't–"

" _Shut up!_ " Inuyasha growled, snapping out the words like a physical assault. It had the desired effect. Immediately, Sango's and Miroku's mouth closed, eyes big and turned in his direction.

And then Sango got a look on her face.

"Don't even," Inuyasha interrupted, long gone from irritated and tense. He was angry and he could feel it, the blood pumping in his veins, the way his body just wanted to _fight_. "One more word and I'll kick both of you out of the car. You can walk home." It wasn't enough though. Now, all of them were angry. Sango was pissed off at Miroku, Miroku was pissed off at Sango and Inuyasha wanted to strangle them both. He knew that Sango was grieving; her father, mother and brother had been murdered by some demon. And there weren't any answers. They had tried, desperately, to find any trace of what had happened, but between the crime scene being monitored by police and Sango's shaking, they hadn't been able to come up with anything.

So now there was nothing. No closure. No idea of what to do next. It made all of them worse for wear.

"What are you two fucking fighting about now?" Inuyasha demanded. There was no less of a growl in his voice.

After a moment's pause, Miroku sighed. "You were right. Kagome isn't going to let this go."

"Which is–" Sango tried to start fighting again but Inuyasha snarled, cutting her off.

"Jesus Christ, stop arguing for two goddamn seconds." She had just lost her family. He should be kinder, but the tension was getting to him too much, making him agitated. "You're being stupid." It said something that Sango didn't fight him. She didn't even make a face. Crossing her arms, the black-haired girl glared out the window, her shoulders a tense line. Inuyasha would probably feel bad about it later, privately in his own head. Looking in the rear-view mirror to see Miroku, he asked, "What did she do?"

"She told us she wanted to help." Miroku started digging around in his jeans, trying to get out his cell phone. "At first, I was thinking that we needed to push her back. End the train of thought so she could move on. _But_!" He tapped on the screen and then shoved the phone by his face, some sort of video playing. They were close enough to the house that the winding street they were on to get there was more or less abandoned. He pulled over and parked the car, taking the phone and started the video from the beginning.

It was Kagome and she was shooting a bow and arrow. There were a variety of shots and each time Miroku showed the end result. A bullseye almost every time, and so, so close on the ones that barely missed.

"That's from her archery club today. She's good," Miroku stated. "She knows the secret, she wants in and we need people. We can train her. She'll only ever be backup, but an extra set of eyes and ears on demonic activity in this town? Especially with the way it's been ramping up these past few years? I think we need it."

Inuyasha watched the video again, almost memorized. There was too much commotion going on so he couldn't hear anything coming from her, but there was that defiance again in her eyes. Defiance at the target, maybe. Defiance at something else. The half-demon didn't know.

Adjusting his gaze to the girl beside him, Inuyasha had to ask. "Sango, what's hanging you up on this?"

She tensed even more – which frankly seemed impossible – but didn't look at him. She didn't even budge. "Why do you care if you don't want my opinion anyways?"

Shit. It was like all the air in the car disappeared. He could smell Miroku's unhappiness and could practically feel the waves of strain. That was _it_. "You want to act like nothing's different?" Inuyasha asked. It was deceptively calm. Too calm. Miroku put his hand on the half-demon's shoulder, as if such a small act would stop him. "Then fine."

"Inuyasha–"

"No," he interrupted, shaking his head. "That's what you want, right Sango?"

She finally shifted to look at him, still glaring and pissed off. Well, two could play at that game.

"Then you're being a fucking idiot." There, he said it. There was zero satisfaction, even when Sango flinched at the words. "You don't want anything to change, but it has. Your family is dead, Sango. They were murdered. And we need to fucking get the bastards that did this. But all we have right now is you, trying to control everything that you can't control and a weepy Miroku who doesn't understand why he can't make you fucking smile anymore. And then there's me, trying not to freak the fuck out every time the two of you fight." It was his turn to glare, but he made sure to look equally at Miroku. He wasn't innocent either. "I'm a _dog_ demon, you assholes. Chemosignals and shit."

Miroku's hand tightened and then there was a burst of laughter. He was actually chuckling, eyes closed and body shaking with it. "Holy shit, we broke you."

Growling, Inuyasha shrugged off his hand.

"No, really!" Miroku pressed. "That's the most you've probably ever said to either of us, _ever_."

Sango's mouth twitched, the tips of her lips slowly growing upwards. It only got worse the second she looked at the blue-eyed boy.

"Whatever," Inuyasha muttered. "Let's figure out shit out."

"At the side of the road?" Miroku raised a brow but shrugged, conceding. "Fine. Look, if this happened a week ago then I would never even consider it. But I think we need her, even if it's in a minimal capacity."

Sango didn't frown but her smile disappeared. Sighing, she shook her head. "She's a liability."

"We can train her."

"When?" Sango asked, not unkindly. It was the most civil they had been in a long while. "While we're at school? After, in between homework and everything else we need to take care of now?"

Miroku nodded. "It's a pain in the ass now but if we stay like we are, how long will we last? You said it yourself: between homework and school and taking care of a big house, we won't be able to do it all."

Sango sighed heavily and rubbed at her face, eyes closed. There were deliberate breaths, long and deep. When she looked at them finally, magenta eyes sliding between the half-demon and blue-eyed human, it was clear a decision had been made. "Okay, we bring her in. But _all_ of us need to train her. We'll take turns. We'll come up with a schedule for watch and for training."

Grinning, Miroku nodded. Inuyasha eyed them both and wondered how long the peace would last. He wasn't stupid enough to believe that one angry discussion with him was enough to patch up everything that had been going wrong.

"Inuyasha?"

"Fine," he answered. He pulled the car back onto the road and continued the drive home.

"I want you to look out for her," Sango continued.

Frowning, the half-demon spared a glance at her. "What?"

"She's new and frankly, the most likely to die." Sango's expression was more determined than he'd ever seen. "And I can't have that on my conscience too."

And what could he say to that? If Miroku's stricken expression in the rear-view mirror was anything to go by, nothing could be said. They would just have to figure it out.

* * *

Today felt wrong.

Inuyasha turned down the street to school, unable to shake the feeling no matter how far away from the forest he got. All day he had been running, searching, scenting the air for traces of the wrongness. He couldn't find it. No matter what he did, whatever was around to throw him off refused to be found.

It was ten minutes after three, the delay coming from his reluctance to leave the house alone. It was not knowing for sure what felt off that haunted him. When he pulled into the quick pick-up lane, Miroku and Sango were already there.

Kagome was too.

"Shit," he muttered, unable to stop the grimace from showing on his face. This was the last thing he needed.

The second the car door opened, he could smell her. He could smell Miroku and Sango as well, their scents as familiar and comforting as they always were but– _But_. They were nothing like Kagome's. It was stronger, richer. Inuyasha felt like he should be able to see it, the way it curled around him and spread through the car.

"Hey," Miroku greeted the moment he sat down in the passenger seat. "How's it going?"

"Something's up." No point beating around the bush. "I don't know what though."

"You can't smell anything?" Sango pressed, leaning forward to get closer.

Inuyasha rolled his eyes. "If I did, I would've said."

"Touchy, geez," Sango retorted, which was rich, coming from her. "Were you able to get a sense of direction on it?"

"Nothing," he replied, shaking his head. "I can just…tell."

"Like some sort of demonic sixth sense?" That was Kagome, the first thing she had said since entering the car.

Inuyasha wanted to roll his eyes again. He wanted to snap because Miroku and Sango should have _warned_ him. Instead, all he said was, "No." Blunt. To the point. Effective.

"Then what do you mean you can 'just tell?'" Kagome implored.

Well then. Not effective.

"I can't explain it," he answered tersely. And he couldn't, not really. It had both nothing and everything to do with the smells and sounds of the forest. "I first noticed something was wrong when I was on the western part of the forest but there was nothing to follow. I went everywhere."

"We'll do another sweep then," Sango stated. "Show Kagome the forest."

Great, that was just what he needed. Her scent mixing in with the trees and dirt and everything else he felt comfortable with.

"Do all the demons come from the forest?" Kagome asked. The question was hesitant, like even though she asked she already knew the answer.

Miroku shook his head. "No, but demons typically stand out. It's easier for them to lurk in the forest before they make some sort of move. And lucky us: Sakura is mostly taken up by forest."

Inuyasha fought the urge to roll down the window. It would just be suspicious at this point. It wasn't even nice out, the air still humid with last night's rain. Why was her scent so strong to him? It wasn't _bad_ but Inuyasha wouldn't go so far as to say it was _good_ either, which was normal with a person's scent. Rarely did something stand out. It wasn't like in movies or books where they could point out exactly what perfume they were wearing, or what kind of shampoo they used. It was something unique, like a fingerprint. Kagome's was simply so much stronger, more potent.

And maybe he was lying to himself. Inuyasha eyed the window control button for a moment, grimace still in place. Her scent wasn't just good: it was fucking intoxicating.

Inuyasha had never been more grateful getting to the house. He turned the car off immediately and opened the door, demonic speed in play to get away as fast as possible. He needed the smell of the forest, something that could lessen the potency. Looking up into the trees, he took in a deep breath. What the hell was going on?

And that's when he saw it. Black wings and a long, curved beak. A crow, sitting in one of the trees several feet away.

"Sango," Inuyasha growled, voice as even as he could make it. "Your two o'clock."

But it didn't make any difference at all. Knowing it was spotted, the crow flapped its wings and took off into the air, a wicked _caw_ bursting from its throat. Within seconds, it was lost in the bush. Inuyasha knew there was no point in even trying to track it.

"Did that…?" Kagome's voice floated over his shoulder, her wave of scent curling around him.

Inuyasha turned, his shoulder pressing into her from how close she was standing. The brown-eyed girl was staring up at the sky, startled. He knew why.

"Yeah," he muttered, mind already trying to figure out what all of this meant. "That wasn't a crow."

"It had three eyes," Kagome said softly, almost to herself. The next part was barely louder than a whisper. "And red eyes."

A three-eyed crow demon wasn't a massive beast. It wasn't a threat unless you were already dead. But even to humans, crows meant something far more than merely dark, angry-looking birds. The three-eyed crow demon was here for a reason. It was watching the town of Sakura for a reason. It sat on that very tree, red eyes intent on them, for a reason.

And that reason was death.

* * *

 **Responses to Anon Reviewers:**

Wolfsmaid: Yes there is! And trust me, my dear, there is so much more to come.

Mal: Well, you can't win them all hahaha. But I'm really glad you stuck with it and really liked the characters. Hopefully you enjoy the rest of what's in store. There is honestly so much to come :D

Eva: Can't have that, now can we? Thanks dear!

Kanne80: Thank you :) I hope you liked chapter two, and you enjoy the rest!

Agive005: Thanks love! You've disabled messages, so I hope you don't mind getting a response here :)

Lola1991: Oh thanks! Is 1991 your birth year because if it is... SAME. Do you feel old? I feel old.

Guest: Why thank you! The edge of your seat is where I always hope to have you guys ;) Wait. That sounded weird. That was...not supposed to sound weird.

Guest: Love back :)

Guest: I'm so glad you really like it! Hopefully you enjoy the rest of what's in store!

* * *

 **I can't begin to explain how much more to this story there is. I hope you enjoy the ride with me.**

 **Feedback, as always, is love.**

 **Witchy**


	3. Chapter 3

**Author's Note: Sorry for the delay! There may be a few grammatical errors, which I'm extremely sorry for, but I wanted to get this out for you. Forgive me!**

* * *

 **That Flesh of Mine**

 **Chapter Three**

 _Don't give it a hand, offer it a soul. Honey, make this easy. Leave it to the land, this is what it knows. Honey, that's how it sleeps._

 _(It Will Come Back, Hozier)_

* * *

She wasn't scared.

Frowning, Kagome took a step back, and then another one. She backed off enough that the half-demon before her was no longer within touching range. It was a strange realization. She had gotten so close, so fast and hadn't really comprehended it. Now, looking at the back of his head with his unusual silver hair and the backwards blue baseball cap, she wondered.

The anxiety was there. She could feel it in her chest, the simmering distress of what was to come. If she was perfectly honest with herself, she had been feeling that way since lunch yesterday, when she approached Miroku and Sango and dared them to come watch her at archery. Kagome wasn't useless. She wasn't a liability, no matter what Sango thought.

If demons existed, if the forest wasn't safe, then she would change that. If no one truly knew about monsters then she had to do something. Her house was so close to the treeline; what if one ever came to attack her family? Were they greater targets, because of where they lived?

She shifted her gaze to the tops of the trees, where the three-eyed crow demon had been before it flew off. "What…" She was almost fearful to ask the question. What kinds of things could it do? It didn't look that different from a regular crow minus its size and eyes. "What was it doing here?"

Watching as the half-demon before her tensed, Kagome was more surprised when Miroku stood beside her, answering. "Honestly? Hard to say. But they don't gather around for no reason."

"Could it have killed us?"

Inuyasha snorted, derisive. She frowned at him, unable to stop the irritation from building up. She was _learning_. How was she supposed to understand these things if she never asked?

"Not a chance," Miroku replied, shaking his head.

"Maybe you, if you'd been alone," Sango added. The girl with magenta eyes watched her and Kagome couldn't help but feel like she was being weighed, assessed on her ability. It was like a test she wasn't prepared for. She was an outcast in this little group, almost like she was coming from a different era with absolutely no knowledge of what was up or down. Kagome felt almost sick with it.

"Miroku would've died." It was gruff, more growly than anything. Kagome glanced at the half-demon just in time to watch him cross his arms defensively, expression stuck in a scowl. Was he ever happy?

"Come on, now," Miroku complained, punching Inuyasha in the shoulder. "Quit being a jackass."

Inuyasha rolled his eyes. "Let's get this over with."

"We'll show you the forest," Miroku explained, gesturing towards the big, looming trees around the house. "There's a training area we have with targets. We can test your skill."

"It won't be like the weak-ass bows and arrows that are at school," Sango pointed out. "These are heavier, stronger."

Kagome nodded. "I'll adjust." She swallowed and ignored the way the girl's magenta eyes considered her. This was harder than she thought it would be. "How much land do you have?"

"A couple acres, but since we back onto the forest it's hard to tell." Sango shrugged. "The rest of the land is conservation but the township isn't exactly proactive about it."

They went into the house quickly: Miroku and Sango to change while Inuyasha's scowling face disappeared into the basement. Kagome had grabbed a spare loose t-shirt from her archery bag at school, switching it just in time to watch the half-demon come back up, lifting a massive duffle bag over his shoulder. He was glaring at her.

Kagome checked to make sure she wasn't doing anything wrong. She was standing in the middle of the foyer, in a t-shirt and leggings and running shoes. Her hair wasn't tied up yet but there was an elastic around her wrist. Why would he care anyways? There was nothing that she was doing wrong. She stared back at him, confused and indignant. Hell, other than try to stop him from bleeding to death and asking for a car ride, what had she ever done to him?

"You're slow," Inuyasha stated, crossing his arms. His scowl didn't deepen but Kagome almost hoped that it would. At least his facial expression would change a bit more.

Also: Miroku and Sango had gone by her? She hadn't even heard them while she was changing in the washroom. "Sorry?" Though she wasn't, not really. She'd taken a grand total of maybe three minutes. She was pretty sure that didn't count as slow. Whatever, maybe the individuals of this household were really timely.

Inuyasha scoffed and turned away, taking the enormous duffle bag with him. His feet were bare and Kagome cursed under her breath, slipping her shoes back off so she could walk through the house. She followed him to the garage, the door left ajar like the half-demon wanted her to know but couldn't be bothered to wait. It was annoying. She hadn't done anything wrong and all he did was make unhappy faces at her. Jamming her shoes back on, Kagome entered the garage and saw lines and lines of shelves and cabinets, many of them locked. On the far right side sat five ATVs, sleek and black.

"Do you know how to drive one of these things?" Inuyasha asked gruffly, not even facing her.

Kagome could feel the irritation spike, her forehead furrowing in. Could he not even be bothered to _look_ at her? "What?" she asked deliberately, just to see what he would do.

The half-demon didn't turn around. "Can you drive an ATV?" The _idiot_ at the end of the sentence wasn't said, but heavily implied.

So she asked again, crossing her arms and waiting for a better reaction. " _What_?"

"Holy shit," Inuyasha snapped, whipping around so fast his silver hair swung with it. "Can you understand anything I say, stupid?"

"My name's _Kagome_ ," she answered, defiant. He didn't have to be so rude the whole time they were together. She hadn't done anything wrong. "And no, I just wanted to see how long it would take for you to look at me."

"You–" Inuyasha cut himself off with a growl, narrowing his golden eyes at her. "Why do I need to look at you?"

"Because that's what people do," Kagome argued, refusing to budge. "You talk to them respectfully and make eye contact during conversation. It's polite."

If anything, he looked angrier. "If this is some messed up talk about how to be _human_ –"

"No!" Kagome yelled, frustrated. How long was it going to take to get through his ridiculous, thick skull? "No, holy crap, I'm just trying to make a point of you being barely tolerable to talk to!"

For a second, Inuyasha didn't even move. He glared at her, eyes still intently focused. It was almost too much, having that full gaze weighing on her but it was what she wanted. Kagome couldn't back down now. Inuyasha took a deep, sharp breath through his nose and then turned his back to her.

Seriously?

Before she could say anything more, a bit of a commotion at the door drew her attention. Miroku and Sango walked in, murmuring about something that sounded serious. This time, it didn't appear that they were fighting. Kagome eyed the stiff back of the half-demon again before giving up on him, focusing back on the couple. "Were you waiting for me?"

Both of them stopped and looked at her, confused. Miroku was the first to respond. "No?"

"Considering you're here before us," Sango added, frowning. Which was, in all honesty, the worst. Sango already didn't seem fond of her. Acting like an idiot wasn't going to help her case at all to be here and train with them, to be a part of what they were.

Irritated far beyond what she was before, Kagome glared at Inuyasha's back. His silver ears were no longer perked towards them but flattened on his head. She hoped it was a tell, a sign that the asshole knew exactly what she thought of him.

"Are we doing this or what?" Inuyasha bit out all of a sudden, again walking away towards the garage door without looking back even once.

Miroku raised a brow. "Man, what got into him?"

Shrugging, Sango wandered over to one of the dark ATVs and got on. There was a key on the handle of it, and she took it before getting the thing started, the rumble loud in the enclosure. "Can you drive one of these?"

Kagome waved her hands, unsure. "It can't be that hard?"

"It's not," Miroku replied, getting on the other one. "Come on, you can ride with me. I'll show you and then you can drive back later."

Sango huffed, the sound barely heard over the sound of the ATV. She caught it though. Kagome wasn't an idiot. In the end, she didn't have a lot of choice. The magenta-eyed girl took off, dirt dusting up when she rode out onto the grass. Miroku was grinning, watching her go like Sango on an ATV was the very best thing.

It confused her, a little, how with the amount they fought the guy clearly loved her.

The forest was still bright despite the overhang of branches full with leaves. Miroku took them along a trail, something clearly worn down by tracks. It was a relatively smooth ride, her hands only having to loosely hold the back handrails. It wasn't a long journey though Kagome couldn't have said for sure just how long they travelled. Eventually, they came into a wide clearing, a few trees having fallen over while others had clearly been cut down. There were targets – or what appeared to be targets based on the holes in them – littered around, hanging in trees and braced against podiums. There were other areas too, with small half-walls made of wood or stone. It _looked_ like a training area, well-used and long-established.

"Wow," she mused, unable to help herself. "You did all this?"

"Asato and Maiho did," Miroku answered, gesturing wildly across the expanse of clearing. "Sango's parents."

"Didn't you say they came here to settle down?"

Miroku gave a small smile, like whatever she asked was entertaining and he was trying not to show it. "I don't know when they built it. Like we said, demonic activity in Sakura has always been a thing, getting worse like whatever is drawing the demons here is growing."

Kagome thought about it, wondering why a tiny town that barely had a couple thousand people would be so interesting to demons. "What does Inuyasha think about it?"

This time, whatever barely contained amusement he had been holding at her expense released. He chuckled, shaking his head. "Inuyasha may be a half-demon, but he is basically human. He doesn't know or at least, doesn't sense whatever they do."

 _Basically human_? Kagome spotted the silver-haired boy across the clearing, rummaging through the large duffle bag with a scowl on his face. His tiny ears weren't focused like his eyes were though, down towards the ground. No, they were turned, peaked in their direction. She knew his hearing was good – he listened in on her phone conversation – but from this far away?

And then images came, unbidden and undesired. His silver hair was streaked with red and the scowl wasn't so much irritated as it was menacing, fangs poking at his lower lip. He stared at her, eyes red like blood and he was growling–

"Hey! Stupid!"

Kagome blinked and took in a sharp, deep breath. She hadn't– _Shit_. Looking around, Inuyasha was no longer at the duffle bag. He stood, only a few feet away from the ATV that she was still perched on. Miroku was frowning, heading back and looking concerned.

 _Inhale_ , two, three, four–

"Hey, are you okay?" Miroku asked, hands hovering in the air like he could do something, anything, to remove what must be a terrified expression on her face.

 _Exhale,_ two, three, four. _Inhale_.

"Yeah, no, I'm good," she answered, slowly letting out a breath. Kagome couldn't stop her gaze from landing on the half-demon though, still watching her with intense golden eyes. Had he noticed her inability to breathe properly? Did he…hear that?

He called her stupid.

"My name," Kagome started, waving off Miroku's offer of assistance to climb off of the ATV. She rounded the vehicle and pointed at him, still a fair distance away but much, much closer. Enough to see Inuyasha's eyes narrow. "My name is Kagome. Say it with me now."

Rolling his eyes, the half-demon turned around. "Whatever. I'm going for a run."

This was insane. Kagome couldn't do anything but stare as Inuyasha took off, disappearing within moments with a speed that shocked her. A huff of laughter caught her attention, Sango shaking her head as she walked over.

"You really rile him up," Sango stated. Her magenta eyes were sharp, accusing.

"I didn't even do anything," Kagome muttered.

"Well." Sango gestured towards the duffle bag. "How about instead of arguing, we shoot things?"

Miroku stepped in, rolling his eyes. "That can't be your solution to everything."

The smile on Sango's face was almost as sharp as her eyes, and definitely meaner. "Says who?"

Heading off to check the duffle bag, Sango stopped her with a simple "ah," leaving no room for discussion. "I already know you're good with a bow but archaic weaponry aside, if you want to survive demon slaying, you're going to need to shoot a gun."

Kagome crossed her arms, a little pleased. "So you did watch my practice."

"Kind of hard not to, considering you dared us to," Miroku replied easily, shrugging.

"Can you all shoot?" she asked, eyeing the variation of guns that Sango was slowly but steadily placing down on one of the wooden half-walls.

"Mostly," Miroku answered, hand seesawing with indifference. "I rather fight hand-to-hand or with magic. Inuyasha would rather just rip people to shreds with his built in weapons."

"And Sango?"

It was maybe the very first time she had seen it, but there was no mistaking it. Kagome watched as possibly the very first, true smile lit on Sango's face, her eyes studiously focused on the weapons before her. "Me?" she asked lightly. "I'm good at everything."

One glance at Miroku was all the confirmation she needed. The guy was nodding his head rigorously, blue eyes wide.

"And wait," Kagome mused, only starting to truly process everything that was said. "You use _magic_?"

"Eh–"

"He likes to call it that," Sango interrupted with a scoff, "but it's not really magic. More like an exorcism without all the religious crap."

Narrowing her dark eyes, Kagome crossed her arms. "I thought you said there weren't any special ways to kill demons."

"Trust me," Sango stated, expression bored like she was already long done with the conversation. "Miroku's exorcisms are hardly special."

"You hurt me," Miroku whined, grasping at his chest like he'd been stabbed. "But for the most part, demons die the same as humans, just with a lot more force and blood loss. Sometimes though, there's more to it."

Sango snorted.

Kagome blinked, opened her mouth to ask what exactly he meant by that. Instead, she kept her lips tightly together and wandered over to where the other girl stood. "So, are you going to teach me to shoot?"

Another smile and Kagome was pretty sure that it was sincere, even if it was a little mean looking. "Better. I'm going to teach you to kill."

* * *

Saturday morning, Kagome found herself staring at the treeline. Her skin itched, muscles burning, like staying away from the forest would slowly kill her. She needed to run. She needed her lunges to burn and her feet to pound, pressing the worn-down trail further into the dirt. Everything in her demanded it. Nearly a week had gone by and yet… When she looked at the trees, all Kagome saw were the shadows. Would beady black eyes await her? Red ones? Would a monster – no, a _demon_ she reminded herself – chase her down once more?

All Kagome wanted was the familiarity of her routine. Running along the edges of their backyard wasn't cutting it and soon her mother would notice.

Kagome walked towards the entrance of the forest and held her breath, listened. She could hear nothing but her own rising heartbeat, drumming in her ribcage. The backyard was spacious, visible. If anyone approached, she'd be able to see them coming. The forest, however…

Turning around, Kagome ignored the itch and longing to enter the woods. Running was running, she reminded herself. The reason she was still exhausted every night and every morning was simply because of all that she had learned. Given another couple of days, the anxiety constantly clawing at her would dissipate. Running would help again.

All she needed was time.

X

"Mom! I'm back!"

Kagome peered out of the kitchen, hands a little wet from cleaning the vegetables and dripping on the floor. She raised an eyebrow at her brother, Sota, because sometimes he could be so stupid.

"Sota Higurashi," their mother's chiding voice yelled. Instantly, Sota looked at the clock on the wall and grimaced. "You are twenty minutes late! Kagome had to do your work."

 _Work_. Kagome rolled her eyes and went back to peeling the carrots. Preparing the salad and setting the table was hardly a travesty. It was, however, tradition. One of the Higurashi children helped Mom cook, while the other set the table and corralled their grandfather in from the living room. At first, it would appear one job was easier than the other but underestimating their grandfather was one mistake you didn't make twice.

"I'm sorry!" Sota replied. Kagome couldn't tell if he was sincere or just a really good actor. "Practice ran late and then Hitomi's mom was late getting us–"

"What's done is done." Mama Higurashi gave him a small smile and Kagome watched as Sota relaxed, just a bit. Idiot. "Next weekend, you'll do Kagome's chores."

"Mom!" Sota whined, incredulous. "All she had to do tonight was set the table! Can't I just do–"

" _Family tradition_ ," their mother interrupted, wagging a finger at him. "Now wash up. Dinner is ready in five."

After Sota left, they finished making dinner in silence. Salad bowl and potatoes in hand to bring to the table, Kagome paused briefly. "If Hitomi's mom _was_ late…"

"I may be old but I still text people," her mother reminded her, smile growing wide. "And Sayuki would have messaged me if that was the case. Now go get Grandpa." She waved her hands at her. "He's been grumbling at the TV all day."

For an eighty-two year old man, Kagome's grandfather was a force to be reckoned with. On the one hand, it was good. When his son – Kagome's father – died in a car crash years ago, it was Grandpa that had held everything down. He helped their mother through her pregnancy with Sota and got odd jobs through friends to pay bills. Grandpa was, at the very least, a man whose willpower got them through such difficult times.

But that same willpower could also be a royal pain.

"Grandpa," Kagome called, poking her head into the living room. "Dinner's ready."

The old man was sitting in his recliner, watching the news. "Do you know a Byakuga Madono?" he asked, completely ignoring her.

Kagome frowned, stepping into the room some more. "The last name sounds kind of familiar, but not really." She watched the TV for a moment, noting the crime scene tape and cops milling about some suburban neighbourhood. It – more than the last name – was familiar.

"This is Summers Street," Grandpa said, pointing aggressively at the television. "A murder in our own town!"

Summers Street… That was right by where Ayumi lived. "A murder?"

"The wife's been taken in to custody. They think she did it."

"Do they know why?"

Grandpa shrugged, eyeing the TV as the story changed. Another animal attack in the woods, in the neighbouring town of Wells. It hit Kagome then, sharply, that the forest in her backyard was the very same. The town of Sakura and the town of Wells shared it, the expanse of trees and creeks surpassing the border between them. The reporter on the screen stood at the outskirts of it, gesturing with her hands in a way that was almost distracting. The next words out of her mouth, however, were certainly not missed.

" _Just over a week ago_ ," the reporter stated, " _another animal attack in woods less than an hour from here killed a family, including a young teenager. Animal services and local PD have yet to find the animal responsible._ "

"Oh god." The words left her lips before Kagome could stop them. It wasn't a secret that she and Sango weren't the best of friends but this… This was awful. Was it the same demon who killed the Houko family, the one who committed this new murder? It had to be. So the demon was still out there, nearby and causing havoc.

Suddenly, the TV screen went black. Her grandfather looked up at her, a look of concern on his face. "Come on," he said gruffly, slowly getting out of his chair. "Enough of that dreary news. You said there was food."

It was enough to snap Kagome out of her thoughts, though plans were already forming. This couldn't happen again. Not to another person. Not to another family. She swallowed hard, feeling the lump in her throat.

Dinner, like usual, was pretty quiet, which made it easier for Kagome to keep her roiling thoughts to herself. Grandpa generally talked about his troubles with the garden outside and in between, their mother managed to get the gist of Sota's soccer practice. Sota was just about to go on another rant about how Hitomi challenged him – _again_ – at some sort of contest when Kagome couldn't hold back any longer.

"Mom," Kagome interrupted, derailing the conversation. "Can I go to my friend's house tomorrow? To study?"

Her mother nodded at her, barely fazed. "Who are you seeing?"

It wasn't demanding, just curious. Kagome knew she already had permission but the question threw her for a loop. Not even thirty minutes ago, her mother commented on the fact she texted the other moms. Yuka, Eri and Ayumi had been her best friends since elementary school; her mother was close with theirs. The silence dragged on, making her mother frown slightly. She'd taken too long.

"Uh, sorry," she blurted out, trying to stop any more questions. "I was trying to–" Trying to, what? "…Remember if you knew her. Sango. Sango Houko."

Her mother's face smoothed out for only an instant before turning alarmed. "You mean the Houkos who had been–"

 _Killed_. Kagome supplied the word anyways. She nodded, pushing the remaining bits of salad on her plate. "Yeah, I…" Pausing, she gathered her trail of thoughts. "I started talking to her the other day. Uh, in class. Literacy. We have a group project to finish." _Lies, lies, lies_. They shared no classes, had no project.

"Should she be at school?" her mother asked, eyes soft but voice still horrified.

Kagome shrugged. "Sango likes to keep busy. She's…okay." And she wasn't lying, not really. For someone that had just lost her entire family, Kagome thought she was unbelievably put together. If she'd been in Sango's shoes, Kagome was pretty sure she'd be an anxious, grief-stricken mess curling in a corner, never to get up.

"Alright then." Her mother nodded and that was that. "Will you need a ride there or home?"

"No, it's okay," Kagome replied. "Her guardian is picking us up and can drive me back. He won't mind." The last thing she wanted was her mom innocently trying to make friends or check-in on them. Her heart was in the right place but this– This couldn't be easily explained.

Not yet anyways.

A tiny voice in the back of her mind whispered that she could never explain, never tell her mother the truth. Without evidence – and what evidence could she show, without putting her mom at risk? – no one would believe her.

Familiar anxiety, chilling her bones and constricting her chest, crawled in. This was likely a secret she'd die with.

 _It's in you, girl_ , the centipede demon had hissed.

And it was right. Something was inside of her, dark and terrifying. Anxiety was a worse demon, she thought, with the way it nestled inside.

Problem was, this one you couldn't just kill.

* * *

She couldn't properly breathe again until the next morning, having evaded Yuka, Eri and Ayumi so she could find Miroku and Sango. All night, she'd been trying to push thoughts of the supposed animal attack from her mind. More than once she found herself scouring through her journal filled with paintings, picking out details over and over and over until her heartbeat slowed somewhat.

Kagome had barely slept.

"What are we going to do?" she hissed, the moment she got close enough.

Sango raised a brow at her. "What do you mean?" She didn't sound confused or unsure. Kagome was positive that this too was some kind of test. For a second, she wondered if this was Sango's true personality; if she was always this condescending and untrusting. Or maybe it was a by-product of her recent trauma, the need to push others who obviously didn't understand away.

"The attack," Kagome answered, refusing to be cowed either way. "Our woods, happened Sunday."

"Saturday night," Sango corrected. And how could she even talk about it so calmly? "But we have the situation under control."

"Inuyasha," Kagome murmured, pressing her lips together tightly. Because she remembered exactly what happened when he was on his own, the way his eyes were red and every inch of him was covered in blood.

The girl scoffed though, shaking her head. "He's not our big bad protector. We were out all of Saturday night and Sunday. Whatever demon caused it has gone to ground again."

"Let me help," Kagome asked. "Let me at least learn what you do."

Sango wasn't having any of it. She shut her locker door and sighed. "I can't let you do it, Kagome. You care too much."

 _And do you even care at all_? The harsh and frankly horrible thought crossed her mind before she could stop it. Her family had died because of some demon ripping apart humans in the woods. Shouldn't Sango be doing more? Why was she at school, moving on and not constantly and endlessly trying to find the demon who had done it?

Miroku, who had been surprisingly silent the whole time, placed a hand on Sango's shoulder. "We can keep training you, but taking you on hunts for demons isn't smart. You're not trained enough."

"Then how–" Kagome cut herself off and looked towards the ceiling, grimacing when the school bell rung to signal the final class warning. She took a deep breath and pushed down every thought that raced through her mind: the panic of not knowing, her inability to sleep last night, the fear that was slowly crawling its way through her veins. This wasn't the time to let anxiety overwhelm her. She had to see this through. "If I get hurt, then that's on me. You've made it clear you don't want me there. But that forest backs onto my family's _property_." Kagome swallowed hard, trying to push the desperation down. "What if a demon comes for them, just like it had come for me?"

It didn't feel like an attack. It didn't feel like a low-blow. But after the words were out, it wasn't hard to see the stricken expression that crossed Sango's face, the way the blood drained out and made her pale. Miroku's hand tightened on her shoulder and whether he was consciously doing it or not, he gently tugged her behind him, forcing Kagome's attention on him.

"You can come," Miroku answered simply, voice as steady as it always was. "We'll be doing rounds tonight unless Inuyasha updates us otherwise. Okay?"

Nodding, not trusting herself to speak, Kagome took a deep breath and walked away. She had to get to class, even though her hands were shaking. She hadn't meant to remind Sango of everything she'd lost. It seemed cruel, that the words had come out despite her best intentions.

It was just another addition to the list of things Kagome had never done before demons took over her mind.

X

"I can't believe Ms. Tanaka gave us so many problem sets to do," Yuka whined under her breath, resting her head despairingly on Kagome's shoulder. "And I have a test tomorrow too!"

"At least she let us get a head start in class," Eri noted. "Mr. Takahashi never gives us extra class time and he always assigns so many papers."

Kagome sighed but couldn't help feel more in touch with Yuka on that one. Getting so much homework meant trying to squeeze it in between training to slay demons and keep up the pretence to her mom that everything was okay. Running wasn't even helping to clear her mind anymore, not the endless loops around the backyard where the scenery was always the same.

The forest called to her. And yet.

Yuka and Eri chatted away while they left class, the final bell rung and students fleeing from the halls. Kagome tried to keep up with the conversation but got lost every few minutes, wondering what they'd be doing later. Would they find the demon who had been killing people in the woods? Would it be nothing more than a waste of time? Would there be clues? For all that Sango had taught her about shooting a gun, they hadn't discussed anything else. And Kagome wanted to know. She wanted to know everything.

"Kagome?"

"Sorry," she blurted immediately, distracted back into the moment. "I was just thinking of something. What did you say?"

Yuka frowned, looking concerned at her. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah! Yes." The last thing she needed was her friends checking up on her too. It was hard enough to lie to her mother. "Just tired. Sorry."

"Don't be sorry," Eri chided, gently touching her arm. "Yuka just wanted to see if you wanted to study with us tonight? We can try to get these math problems done."

"And it'll probably help Ayumi," Yuka mused. "She's been nervous at home since that murder down the street. You heard about it, right?"

"Didn't the wife do it, or something?" Kagome asked, trying to remember what she saw on the television.

"Apparently. Ayumi's been following the whole thing _way_ too closely." Eri shook her head, her worry clear. "We're just trying to get her out of the house."

"Probably a good idea," Kagome admitted. "She's always been pretty sensitive to stuff."

Yuka nodded. "So, are you in for tonight? We can grab some McDonald's later; make it a true girl's night."

It was then – whether by coincidence or fate – that Kagome saw Miroku making his way through the crowd of students. His blue eyes landed on her and he smiled, waving. Kagome didn't even have to do anything back; her friends noticed the exchange near immediately and turned to stare at her, eyes wide.

"We're at the side," Miroku called, gesturing with his hand towards the part of the building with another exit, leading to some parking lot that was less frequently used.

"Okay," Kagome replied, giving a small smile back despite the way her friends were gaping at her.

When he disappeared back into the crowd, presumably to go to his locker to pack up, Yuka and Eri practically pounced. "How do you know _him_?" Eri demanded, tone incredulous.

"Uh," Kagome mumbled, trying to stall. She didn't have to try very hard because Yuka quickly jumped in, stepping in closer like the words about to leave her mouth were serious secrets.

"He's a total flirt," Yuka stated, raising a brow at Kagome. "All I've heard from other seniors is how flirty he is with all the girls."

Kagome frowned. "I don't know," she said, "he's pretty close with Sango."

"Sango?" Eri asked. "You mean that girl that refuses to speak to anyone?"

Not a surprising comment, considering how Kagome was getting along with her. But Sango wasn't a bad person. She had a really weird life: growing up a demon slayer, knowing secrets that would make people three times her age cringe in fear. It had to be hard. And with her family… "Sango's not a bad person," Kagome tried. "She's just close with Miroku. They eat lunch together all the time. Haven't you noticed?'

"Not really," Yuka replied. "I heard that one time this guy tried to ask her out and she threatened to slam his nose into his brain with her fist."

 _Really_ not surprising. "She wasn't interested."

Scoffing, Yuka shook her head. "Whatever, so not the point. But you're dodging the question: how do you know a senior like Miroku?"

Kagome rolled her eyes. She hadn't been _dodging_ , just spoken over. "We happened to run into each other at…" The forest wasn't exactly a common place to run into peers. "At the store." At her friends' looks, Kagome amended. "Him _and_ Sango. They were shopping at the grocery store and I was too. With mom." Obviously. Why was this so hard for her? "Anyways, they're nice. I see them every once and a while."

"So you're hanging out with them tonight?" Eri asked.

"Yeah, sorry guys," Kagome replied. "Maybe another day this week? We can get that McDonald's."

"Okay," Eri said, looking more confused than ever. "Have fun."

"Thanks," Kagome replied, trying not to feel awkward as she left them, switching everything out of her locker as fast as possible before heading towards the exit. It took a moment to spot Sango, but she was standing to the side, staring at her phone with a puzzled expression on her face. As casual as she could, Kagome approached, hoping that Sango wouldn't be difficult. Miroku was nowhere in sight and that meant a lack of buffer between them. "Hi," she greeted quietly.

Sango looked up quickly before going back to her phone. "Hey. So Inuyasha just sent me a text; he's been doing rounds all day and there's been nothing. No scent, no blood trail. Nothing. It's like the thing that got the couple didn't even exist. But they're calling it another bear attack."

Kagome frowned, trying to put the pieces together. "Well it's obviously not a bear. The woods are too small. Is that common though? For nothing to be found?"

"No." Sango seemed tense – more than usual – and her grip on her phone was white-knuckled.

It hit Kagome then that her parents had died because of what officials stated was a bear attack. But Inuyasha had been positive that wasn't the case. So what was it? What looked like a bear but wasn't actually? There had to be a place she could research this with them.

"When we went to the scene, it only smelled like the blood of the man and woman found dead." Sango sighed and pocketed her phone, finally turning those magenta orbs towards her. Whether it was the conversation, or simply the end of a long school day, Kagome could see the dark circles under her eyes. "Inuyasha is a good tracker. Sometimes it's hard to get the scent at first but once he has it, usually finding the demon responsible is easy."

"But it's Monday and you guys went out Saturday night when it happened."

Sango nodded. "He hadn't been able to get anything, other than the smell of the couple. It's strange because the smell of blood doesn't disappear like that."

The doors behind them opened, Miroku walking out with a smile on his face. It faded the second he landed on their expressions. "What's going on?"

Instead of answering, Sango gave Miroku her phone, letting him scroll through the conversation. His reaction was not unlike Sango's, though he kept flicking tiny glances towards the girl every few seconds. "This isn't right."

"Tell me about it." Sango shook her head and took a deep breath. Miroku reached out to touch her but she climbed down the steps, heading towards the parking lot. Miroku watched her, expression tight.

"You okay?" Kagome asked softly.

"Why wouldn't I be?" Miroku didn't stick around for a response, deftly following the other girl down and away. A familiar black car pulled up then, Inuyasha's scowling face clear in the driver's side.

Great. Clearly the half-demon was in a good mood.

His expression didn't get better. As Kagome sat in the back, in direct line of sight to Inuyasha's rear-view mirror, she watched the way his eyes narrowed at her. What was his _deal_? To make things even worse, no one was talking. Sango was unhappy in the front, glaring out the window. Miroku had his arms crossed, lost in his thoughts. And then there was Inuyasha, irritable as always.

"Is there something I don't know about?" Inuyasha asked, voice gruff. He rolled down the window and cracked open Sango's, something he always seemed to do. Maybe the air conditioner in the car smelled weird. He had stronger senses, right?

"What do you mean?" Sango asked.

Inuyasha's grip on the steering wheel tightened. For a long while, he didn't say anything, like he was debating the exact words to use. Finally, the half-demon sighed with a huff. "Since none of us have had time to go shopping, and Mushin's pretty much useless, I figured we'd order pizza."

"Works for me," Miroku mumbled. "As long as there's at least some vegetables on it."

"Way to ruin a pizza," Sango shot back instantly, a clearly familiar argument between them.

"You can have your own," he pointed out with a grin. Kagome couldn't help but smile a little, feeling the tension in the car ease. When Miroku caught her eye, he shrugged. "I rather not get scurvy." Sango's loud scoff echoed but he continued on, "What do you like on yours?"

Were they inviting her to dinner? Kagome bit her lip for a moment, inexplicably nervous. She'd only really known them a few days and with Sango, it wasn't exactly always friendly. But this was a chance, wasn't it? And even if it wasn't a dinner invite, it was at least easy conversation. "I'm pretty happy with anything," she admitted.

"That's what you say now." Inuyasha's voice wasn't any smoother, but his golden gaze in the mirror wasn't so intimidating. His stare only last a few seconds, driving as he was, but Kagome could swear there was some sort of challenge there.

What kind of challenge? She had no idea.

She highly doubted that it had anything to do with food.

* * *

Stepping into the Houko home for the third time was far easier. There were no crow demons lingering in the trees and no arguments in the car. In fact, Kagome was shocked at the simplicity of it. Having known the group for only a few days – and dealing with an emotional rollercoaster each time – it was by far the calmest moment they'd all had together. She waited for the other shoe to drop, for something to be taken the wrong way, or for some sort of monster to creep out of the shadows. But nothing happened.

The forest rounds were precise but quick. Sango had waved Kagome onto her ATV without even looking at her, like the irritation she felt for the newcomer no longer existed. Blinking, Kagome hadn't said anything and barely refrained from looking over at Miroku questioningly. What had changed? Considering that morning, there wasn't a reason for it.

Unless Sango responded best to being antagonized?

It turned out that the forest was covered in traps. Not anywhere near where some of the trails were that people took. The traps were deep in the forest, usually near some of the creeks that ran through it. Sango even pointed out a moss-covered cave, a place that was surrounded by massive trees and small streams of water. Her family had originally moved to Sakura to get away from slaying, to start a family.

"But apparently weird things started happening the year I was born," Sango said, magenta eyes off in the distance. The ATV rumbled underneath them. "They always joked that it meant we were supposed to be some kind of family business. Slayers Inc. or whatever."

"What kinds of things?" Kagome asked, if only to bring the girl back, away from the memory of her parents. She didn't know Sango well enough to tell if speaking about them was helping or hurting her.

Sango shrugged. "Odd deaths in the town. People suddenly going crazy or disappearing. Demons are so versatile that while some physically attack humans, others are able to psychically attack. Or use their powers to control humans or things."

It was almost too much to take in. How many times had demons been the cause of so much suffering and hurt? How far did their powers go? "Which demon was the craziest so far?" Kagome asked, unable to stop herself. Masochism wasn't a good look but she _had_ to know. How else was she going to learn, going to be able to spot the difference to help her family?

"There was a demon, years back," Sango started, turning off the ATV. "People were just dying, out of the blue, in a town a couple hours from here. My parents knew someone and they got called to take a look. Miroku and I were too young and at the time, we didn't know Inuyasha yet. There was no way to immediately smell if there was a demon involved.

"Long story short, my parents couldn't prove anything," Sango continued. "But the demon had been watching them. It followed them home, to us. I don't remember everything about that night, but I know my dad was suddenly yelling for us to run. Kohaku was only… He was just a baby. Miroku grabbed me and we both went to get him but this _thing_ – It was suddenly in the doorway, blocking our exit. I don't know where my parents were, just that I'd never been more terrified. Miroku though, he just threw himself at the demon. He slammed this exorcism charm on the thing and all of a sudden it disappeared."

Kagome couldn't see herself, but she knew the expression on her face was that of sheer disbelief. To have been so young and to have gone through that– Kagome shook her head and Sango laughed, the first happy sound that she'd ever heard coming from the girl's mouth.

"It was pretty crazy," Sango said, even though Kagome hadn't said a word. "But it turned out that the demon killing all those people was just its spirit. Like a demon ghost."

"So let me get this straight," Kagome started. "We have to worry about demons _and_ their ghosts?"

Sango laughed again and started up the ATV. "Reconsidering spending time with us?"

Shaking her head, Kagome laughed a bit herself, hands gripping onto the bars. "I guess it'll take more than some demonic ghosts."

Out of the blue, Sango gripped the brake hard. Kagome held herself back as much as possible, her forehead crashing into the girl's back. "Shit," Sango whispered, the sound barely heard over the rumble of the ATV. "Fuck, the _bear_."

"What?" Kagome looked around sharply, trying to make sense of what was happening. "Where?"

Groaning in frustration, Sango cursed again, pushing the vehicle forward as fast as possible. All Kagome could do was hold on, her dark eyes trying to take in everything around her. She didn't see anything, not in front of them or around them. What the hell was happening?

"What's going on?" Kagome yelled, trying to be heard.

"I figured it out," Sango replied, nonsensically. "How the _fuck_ didn't I see it before?"

She was driving like a bat out of hell so Kagome couldn't do much more than hold on tighter. They were heading back to the house at an alarming rate, flying over rocks and splashing through creeks. If something was really wrong though, shouldn't they be calling for backup? "What about Inuyasha?" she asked, somewhat desperately.

"He knows," Sango replied, only briefly turning her head to look at her. "He can hear us. I wouldn't be driving this fast without good reason and Miroku's with him. We'll meet back at the house."

 _For what_? She wanted to ask, so badly. What was going on? Had she seen the bear that supposedly attacked everyone? She hadn't seen anything herself but with the way they were driving, something was going on. Something must have been chasing them.

Sango's grip on the bars made her hands a ghostly white, her back nothing more than a solid line of tension. Kagome hadn't seen anything around them, or behind him. Maybe the only thing chasing them were ghosts.

The second they got to the house, Inuyasha was already there, arms crossed like he was irritated and trying to hold back. Kagome tried to ignore him but it was hard, what with the way his golden eyes tracked her as she got off the machine before returning directly to Sango. "What the fuck?" he asked.

"I know what killed them," Sango exclaimed, already brushing by. "And if it's true, I'm going to _murder_ that man."

"Holy shit, Sango–" But Kagome knew there was no point in trying to calm her down. She rushed into the house behind her, Inuyasha on their heels.

"What do you mean you know what killed them?" Inuyasha demanded, voice low.

Spinning on her heel so fast that her hair viciously whipped around her, Sango stopped. "I know what _killed them_ , Inuyasha, _for fuck's sake_! In the woods. It wasn't just any demon that took them, it was the fucking demon from Valley Hills. Three years ago!"

This meant absolutely nothing to Kagome. She stood there, frozen in shock. Her brown eyes darted from the demon slayer to the half-demon, unsure of what to expect. Sango had seemed so much happier before, and then they were talking about demons and ghosts and–

"You mean it was the ghost of demon?" Kagome asked, the question incredibly soft considering the tension in the room.

Inuyasha glared at her but Sango only nodded, magenta eyes focused dead ahead. "It looked like a bear attack," she stated, her voice warping with emotion. "They were so… If my family hadn't wanted to be cremated... I couldn't even recognize them." Somehow, she didn't sob. The girl with magenta eyes kept it together and Kagome didn't understand how it was even possible. "They said it was a bear attack but I knew that couldn't be it. With the training my family had?" She scoffed. "It wasn't possible. It had to be a demon and there are so many that could do something so horrible."

Miroku burst into the hallway then, shoving past Inuyasha and sliding around Kagome until he was at Sango's side, arm quickly around her shoulders. "What is it?"

Whether it was the idea of repeating herself, or the fact that it was all finally hitting her hard, Sango shook her head and kept her mouth shut. She blinked rapidly, shaking her head as if willpower alone was going to stop her from crying.

"Valley Hills' bear demon. Three years ago we took the thing down. Remember it?" Inuyasha asked.

Miroku's head snapped up, gaze narrowing. "You think?"

"Only one way to find out," Inuyasha replied, nodding. "But it makes sense. The complete lack of scent and any kind of trail. The fact that even the blood of the victims doesn't go anywhere. What are the chances?"

"So the demon's spirit is what's causing all this?" Kagome asked.

Inuyasha glared at her again, golden eyes far too intense. "We'll talk about it later."

"I'm going to call him, right now," Sango said. Her hand grabbed at Miroku's shirt and he nodded, following her deeper into the house.

Kagome watched them, torn on what she should do. She told her mom that she wouldn't need a ride but considering everything that was happening, maybe it would be best to go.

"Come with me."

Frowning, she eyed the half-demon that stormed down the hall, back the other way. She hesitated because was he really…?

"Are you coming?" Inuyasha demanded, sparing her a disgruntled glance before disappearing around the corner.

There wasn't much choice. Kagome braced herself for what was surely going to be an unpleasant experience and followed. Where he led her to was some sort of mud room, filled with coats and boots and assorted outdoor equipment. He opened a door and gestured for her to walk ahead, down a set of stairs.

"Is this–"

"We haven't got all day," Inuyasha snapped behind her, following. He was so close, she could practically feel the heat radiating off of him. She quickly headed down, trying to gain some distance. There wasn't much room to go anywhere though, not when she reached the bottom. It seemed like a kind of bedroom, long ago used. A tiny bed sat in the corner with a couple dressers and a shelf. There were books – children's books – and some small toys in a basket in the corner. The room was devoid of anything personal though; no photos hung on the walls, no names or trinkets.

"Whose rooms is this?" Kagome asked.

"No one's." Inuyasha didn't explore like she did. Instead, the half-demon leaned against a pole in the middle of the room, watching her with his eyes as intense as ever. "You're not going to run for the hills, are you?"

It was an abrupt question, considering her own, but Kagome figured conversation wasn't exactly the half-demon's specialty. "No," she replied, as firmly as she could.

He snorted and looked up at the ceiling, as if asking for patience. "If you're going to hang around here, then you're going to need to get something straight. I can't protect you."

Kagome opened her mouth, about to say something, but realized pretty quickly that she didn't know what to say. _Protect her_? Since when had she ever asked him for protection? She could feel herself frowning, confusion overcoming her as she tried to assess the guy before her. His face was a mask, scowl firmly in place. "I didn't ask for your protection," she said slowly, unable to say anything else.

"Good." The half-demon nodded once, ears twitching on top of his head. "Miroku and Sango are the only ones I protect. If you want to tag along, fine. But I can't watch your back."

"Then by all means, don't." Kagome could feel, just like always, the irritation building within her. What was it about him that _infuriated_ her like this?

"If the demon that killed Sango's family is actually alive, then we'll go after it. You need to stay out of the way."

Rolling her eyes, Kagome slouched down onto the bed, trying to distract herself from saying something she'd regret. Inuyasha continued to watch her, his face grimacing the moment she sat down. It made her slightly uncomfortable, the thought that maybe she shouldn't be touching the bed. "What?"

"Nothing." The half-demon snarled, a fang poking out from his lip.

"Then what's the point of bringing me down here?" she asked brusquely.

Inuyasha huffed out a breath that seemed almost painful. "That's a good question."

Like he didn't actually know. "This bear demon, what happened to it?" Kagome asked, trying to change tactics.

If anything, he looked even more frustrated with her. "Three years ago, we went to Valley Hills to get rid of it. It was attacking people in the woods, over and over. The humans were too stupid to heed the warnings. We slayed it along with another slayer from the area. He was supposed to make sure everything disappeared but he must have done something wrong for its spirit to be back."

"Didn't you say the bodies vanish? Like decompose really fast? What could have gone wrong?"

For a moment, it looked like the half-demon wasn't going to say anything. Then he shrugged. "A bunch of things. The other slayer could have taken some part of the demon as a trophy, something they've kept together with spells."

"Then magic is real," she said, more to herself.

"It's not like Harry Potter," Inuyasha spat, interrupting her train of thought.

"Whatever. I'm still trying to figure everything out."

Inuyasha gave her a look, and Kagome couldn't help but feel like she was being assessed. It was intense enough that she shifted, looking around her rather than ahead. It was by her feet, on the ground, that she noticed what looked like claw marks etched into the hardwood.

"There's something more to whatever is going on out there," Inuyasha finally answered. "I don't know what it is yet."

It was almost like some sort of haze had disappeared. The second Kagome saw the claw marks, it was like she knew. Her dark eyes searched around the room, finding other little clues – a blanket with a long tear, an etch into the wall, a broken board buried behind a shelf – and it all made sense. Any and all frustration she felt instantly vanished, replaced by a growing horror she couldn't keep off of her face.

Inuyasha must have seen her expression because right away he was growling, low and rumbling in his chest. "What's the matter?"

This was his bedroom. This is where Inuyasha slept. Or had slept. Kagome ignored the half-demon before her and continued to look around. Everything was so outdated; there was no way the silver-haired boy still stayed there.

"Kagome!" Inuyasha barked, violently snapping her attention back.

She blinked and swallowed, pushing past the lump in her throat. This time, it had nothing to do with anxiety. "Sorry, I just– It's okay."

Inuyasha growled again and he pushed away from the pole he was leaning on, stalking closer. "What's wrong?"

Could he hear her heartbeat? The thought flashed through her mind so quickly. He had heard her phone conversation, her quickened breaths. Could he also hear the way it was thundering in her chest? "Nothing. I realized–"

She hesitated and it made his growl louder. " _What_?"

"This was your room!" She blurted it out without finesse, more confused than anything. She hadn't seen him so riled up, not since that day in the forest. That was much worse but this was…close. Closer than ever before.

Inuyasha froze, hands clenching into fists at his side. He glared at her for a moment before taking a step back, and then another. Like with each backtrack he could remove himself from the situation. "Only when I was younger."

"There aren't even _windows_ ," Kagome argued.

The half-demon rolled his eyes. "I was hardly ever here," he answered shortly, clearly unhappy to be discussing it. "The Houko family took me in but they'd never seen someone like me before. They practically had three kids, it's not like they could've taken chances."

"They'd never seen a half-demon," she clarified.

Inuyasha nodded, crossing his arms.

"Miroku told me that you're 'basically human,'" Kagome murmured, putting emphasis on the words. She didn't want to spook him or antagonize him, and both seemed so easy to do. With the way he clenched his jaw, she was already on thin ice. "But in the forest–"

"Stop," Inuyasha demanded. "You don't know what you're talking about."

"I know what I saw!" Kagome argued, standing up. "You weren't like you are now! You weren't like _this_." She waved a hand over his body, trying to make the point clear. "Your eyes were red and you were covered in blood. There was nothing human about that."

Inuyasha growled, taking a step closer. It was a challenge, just as much as her outburst was.

"They don't know, do they?" Kagome demanded. "Miroku wasn't there for it. He didn't see–"

"No, and you're not going to tell them," Inuyasha hissed. The growl was still rumbling in his chest and the hairs on the back of her neck were standing up at attention. This was a predator. He could kill her in so many different ways. "It was so close after everyone had just died," Inuyasha snapped angrily. "And then this demon showed up and what was I to do? Sango was barely coherent and Miroku was trying to keep her from doing something stupid."

"You were hurt everywhere." Kagome didn't mean to say it, but it came out anyways, far too soft.

It didn't make Inuyasha less cross but his stance changed, moved away from her. "I lost control; there were too many things. I was angry. You're lucky to be alive." It sounded almost like an admission, the way the last sentence slipped from his lips. He growled again and headed towards the stairs. "Come on, I can hear Miroku yelling for us."

"Is everything okay?"

"Yeah," Inuyasha growled. He headed towards the stairs and Kagome wasn't sure what it was about him, but it looked like he was running, like he was desperate to get out of that room.

"Inuyasha, wait," Kagome called, before she could change her mind. When the half-demon stopped, he didn't turn. She didn't need him to. "I won't say anything," she told him. "About what happened in the forest. That's between you and me."

It took a few moments – far longer than Kagome thought was necessary – but eventually the half-demon nodded. He didn't thank her. He didn't ask why. He simply continued up the stairs and opened the door to get out. He yelled for Miroku and Kagome followed hastily behind, trying to keep up. While she heard something about pizza and ordering, she couldn't help but check the door, noticing that the locking mechanism for the little basement bedroom was on the outside, not in.

* * *

The rest of the night was pretty subdued. Sango wasn't crying but she wasn't overly talkative either, leaving the conversation mostly up to Kagome and Miroku. They discussed the concept of magic, and how it wasn't really magic at all.

"Demons are inherently evil," Miroku explained in between a bite of pizza. "Anything that banishes evil, that's any kind or form of purity, those items will hurt demons or banish them completely."

Kagome had a billion questions but every talk of demonic activity seemed to weigh down more heavily on Sango. As casually as she could, she changed the subject to more boring topics – school work, gossip, how Mr. Ogata was still one of the weirdest teachers in the whole school.

"I have him for home room Lit," Kagome sighed. "He loves going off on tangents." Sango snorted a laugh and then poked fun at Miroku, since apparently he had had the teacher the year prior. It seemed forced but the effort was there and she was no longer crying.

Inuyasha had been mostly silent, relaxing on the nearby couch in the same sweats as earlier. With his feet bare and face relaxed, he looked almost vulnerable. Kagome had to remind herself to not stare, and that there was nothing vulnerable about the half-demon.

"Thanks for dinner," Kagome said during a lull in conversation. "But I should probably head back. I'm way too behind in homework."

"You should have said," Sango remarked. "We could have done it here."

"Next time," Kagome promised. It was the first time that she didn't feel terrified to say it. She gathered her things and headed to the front door, Inuyasha following behind with a baseball cap in his hands. He didn't look any happier than he had all day. Even after her promise to him.

The second they got into the car, he rolled down the windows. It was nice enough outside, warm but not overly humid, though she still wasn't sure why he did it constantly. She gave him a weird look, hoping he would explain, but when Inuyasha caught her eye he abruptly looked away.

 _Running away_ , more like. Even though he couldn't in the confines of the car.

"Do you ever smile?" Kagome asked, genuinely curious.

In response, Inuyasha scowled harder. "That's a stupid question."

"Not from where I'm sitting," she replied, unable to stop herself from grinning. There was nothing else but silence for another few minutes but it wasn't uncomfortable. Kagome vaguely wondered why that was, considering how irritated he made her. "So did you ever go to school?"

Inuyasha looked at her like she was insane. The more she thought about it, the more she realized it wasn't exactly the best question to ask. There was, for a long time, nothing but that judging look from him. Eventually, he looked away. "I was homeschooled."

The thought of that basement bedroom flashed through her eyes. "By who?"

"Maiho, mostly," Inuyasha answered. "Sometimes Asato, depending on the subject. I graduated high school."

"How old were you when you met Sango's family?"

"How many questions are you going to ask?" the half-demon responded, growling. "This isn't Twenty Questions."

"Well _sorry_ ," Kagome muttered. "Just trying to get to know you. You know, like normal people."

Inuyasha scoffed. "Me saving you from that demon doesn't mean we need to become friends. You don't owe me anything."

"I never thought I did." It came out waspishly but she couldn't help it. He was so annoying. Couldn't one conversation be relatively civil between them?

"Oh no?" Inuyasha questioned. His golden eyes were like lasers. "Wasn't it you that made the snap decision to trust me just because I saved you?"

"Why do you hate me so much?" Kagome retorted, crossing her arms in a mimicry of what he'd been doing earlier. "If I remember correctly, I'm the one that saved _you_!"

"I wasn't going to die from blood loss, _idiot_ , I just needed some time!"

"My name isn't _idiot_ and it's not _stupid_! Can you get this through your thick skull? Kagome! My name is Ka-go- _me_!"

And like a firecracker, a massive bang came from the car. There was the sound of shattering – it was glass, the windshield – and Kagome was screaming, the car swerving viciously to the right, down into the ditch, rolling, rolling–

Gone.

* * *

 **Responses to Anon Reviewers:**

Wolfsmaid: I do love having Inuyasha as a half-demon as much as possible in AUs. Sometimes you just can't, given the world they're in, but it certainly makes me happier like this :) Thank you dear!

: Thank you darling, that's sweet of you to say! I am back and posting, and will hopefully have the next chapter up much sooner!

Mal: Oh my god, no! That's not how you came across at alllllll. Locked onto the scent thing, huh? How Inuyasha can smell her so much? Good. Keep that in the back of your head. That's a huge part of this story - there are so many parts to this story - but that's definitely one of them :D Thank you love!

Letsgotothemoon: Why thank you! That's so nice of you to say! I really hope you enjoyed this chapter :D

Phoenixwings37: Oh boy, he so totally is.

Guest: Thank you so much hun! I really hope you enjoyed this chapter too :)

The Well: Aw shucks, thanks love. That's so sweet. There is so much more of this story to come!

ThatGirl: I'm super, super glad you're not dead. How did your exams go?! Hope everything is going okay :)

* * *

 **Thank you all for such lovely words. I'm blown away by all of the support. You're the best.**

 **Feedback is love.**


	4. Chapter 4

**Author's Note:** As a reminder, while this story will take a lot of canon Inuyasha elements, this story is decidedly not canon (surprise!). Not all enemies will be a part of it. Not all demons will be taken care of the same way. Just so I don't crush any dreams here :)

 **Dedication:** To Wenchster, for literally inspiring me to keep pushing even though the universe conspired against me on this chapter. You're a star.

* * *

 **That Flesh of Mine**

 **Chapter Four**

 _If you could only see the beast you've made of me. I held it in but now it seems you've set it running free. Screaming in the dark, I howl when we're apart. Drag my teeth across your chest to taste your beating heart._

 _(Howl, Florence and The Machine)_

* * *

He was going to kill her. It wasn't the first thought that crossed his mind, but it was the first one that wasn't borne out of instinct. Instinct that came in flashes, of just–

Inky blackness smashing into the hood, the roof, the windshield; too late for him to see, to hear because he was focused on _her_ –

Smashing, shattering glass, and he had no choice, just dove to the right, bursting the buckle of the seatbelt and covering as much as–

Screaming, so much screaming. The car veered, no driver to keep the wheel steady and then they were rolling, rolling, over and over as he clung to her, holding on and–

A heavy groan from the car. A thud.

Silence.

Inuyasha couldn't help the moan that escaped, feeling the pinpricks of glass all over his body. Shit, his leg. _Fuck_ , this was bad.

And then he heard a cawing sound, like little jolts of laughter. It was only getting worse.

"Inuyasha," Kagome breathed, dark brown eyes wide and terrified. "Holy shit, are you okay?" Her hands were grabbing at his shirt, tugging insistently until they rested on the seatbelt crushing his chest. There was blood smeared on her face.

"Goddamn it," he snapped, recoiling just enough to slice through the belt with his claws. His leg he'd have to deal with later but first he needed to get out of the car, find the fucking demon and _slaughter it_.

"You're bleeding," Kagome added, unhelpfully. No shit, he was bleeding. He could literally feel the glass pushing its way out of his skin, his body trying to heal. "I can't–"

" _Stay here_." It was fruitless, he knew, especially when the caws and screeches grew louder, the car suddenly rocking. Goddamn crows, he'd show them a murder. Kagome yelled out at a particularly violent rock but that was fine because it drowned out the way he slammed open the door and threw his body outside. It hurt, his right leg protesting loudly but he didn't stop, claws digging into the dirt before he leapt. There were crows everywhere – every day crows, not demons – but it was too difficult to make out immediately. The car groaned under his weight, the black birds screeching as they took off to the sky.

A large, booming caw – the sound of an order – rang in the air. Inuyasha didn't even have to look, the sound was so strong, so close, that he flung himself upwards. His body arched towards the nearby tree where in the branches the three-eyed crow sat. It screamed as he drew near, taking off seconds before Inuyasha could close his hands around it. The tree branch was unforgiving on his muscles but he clung on, desperate to gain some sort of equilibrium.

"Get back here!" he yelled at the crow, ears trying to pinpoint the flapping of its wings. There were too many though, the other normal crows standing by, swirling around like vultures.

One of them was diving.

Not just one of them: the demon. Inuyasha watched from the tree as the three-eyed crow cawed victoriously on a downwards spiral. He was aiming for the car, he was going to destroy it and–

Kagome.

The half-demon jumped, words leaving his mouth that he didn't understand. He was too late though – far too late – because by mid-flight the crow had already landed, crushing the underside of the car with its might. The frame caved in on itself, doors snapping to the side and open.

There was no way she was alive.

"No!" Inuyasha roared. His body collapsed on top of the crow, just before it was able to take flight once more. His claws sank into its feathers, its flesh, and he didn't stop there. He rolled, taking the demon with him. He could feel the heat of the blood dripping down his hand, his arm, as the bird squirmed to get away. Inuyasha would not let it, not after what it had done.

With a growl that burst from his chest, Inuyasha smashed it into the ground, over and over until it was dizzy with it. The moment the three-eyed crow demon stopped fighting, he let go for the barest of seconds before shredding the damn thing in half, bloodied feathers and guts spilling onto the dirt.

Breathing hard, Inuyasha stared at the demon and the dull glassiness of its eyes. It was dead. It was over.

Shit.

Sitting back, the half-demon pulled himself a few scant inches away, the smell of blood pungent and overwhelming. It wasn't a bad overwhelming though, and that was the problem. Every fibre of his being was thrumming with life.

 _Life_ , after he had just taken one and after Kagome–

Fuck, Kagome.

It was a flash of panic, deep in his gut. Inuyasha staggered up and ignored the way his leg screamed, knowing it would knit itself back together over time. He had to get to the car. Leaping, he landed ungracefully by the side, body collapsing in part from his leg and also because he needed to crawl, to get low and see. And what he saw was blood – so much blood – and the bodies of crows.

"Why are you going back in there?"

Snapping his attention back to the forest, Inuyasha stared in disbelief at the girl before him. Her stupid dark eyes and long hair and that defiant expression on her face. But. _But_. "I told you to–" _Stay in the car_. He couldn't finish it. Because that would mean she was dead.

The passenger seat in the car was nothing more than a mangled mess of metal and feathers and a crimson smear.

"The crows started attacking," Kagome said, voice barely trembling. It was only then that he saw the way she clutched at a massive piece of glass. She was covered in blood. "I had to get out."

"Yeah." Inuyasha stood up and walked over, ignoring the way his body wanted to stop. He could never show such a weakness. Instead, he came close enough that all he needed to do was reach out slightly. Kagome eyed his palm, confused. "Give me the glass," he ordered. All he could smell was gore – pungent and thick and coppery – and he didn't want more of it. He didn't want hers, slicing against the shard in her hand.

For a moment, Kagome looked like she was going to refuse. Her grip tightened and it caused her to wince, the shock of it enough to get her going. She lifted her hand and dropped it into his waiting palm. It was then that Inuyasha saw them, all the tiny shards of glass still embedded in her hand and the larger slices. The arms of her shirts were torn and bloodied. There was a cut on her left cheek, a tiny crimson trail smeared. Unable to stop himself, Inuyasha grabbed her wrist and held on, eyeing the cuts on her skin. "We need to get these out."

Kagome stared at him for a moment, mouth unattractively open until what he said seemed to process. "Well, yeah," she murmured finally, frowning. "When the windshield shattered I threw my hands up. The crows tried to grab me too, and my shirt…" She shrugged but her gaze never left him. "You covered me though and you're not cut at all."

He scowled. Of course she noticed. Hoping to distract her, he started to pick out the glass with his claws.

"Ow, that hurts," Kagome snapped, trying and completely failing to pull her hands from his grip. "It's fine."

"It's not fine," he retorted, barely able to contain a growl. The girl was _annoying_. "Let me finish."

"Great, so then I'll just bleed to death."

Glaring, Inuyasha waited until she looked at him before taking out the next piece of glass. Petty? Inuyasha didn't know the meaning.

She tried to fight him with her other hand, batting at his arm while she complained the whole time. Inuyasha rolled his eyes and when he finished, he grabbed the hand she so willingly offered and started to get the glass there too. There was significantly less shards, but some stronger, larger cuts that were sluggishly bleeding. "We'll get these cleaned at the house."

"You never answered my question," Kagome stated suddenly, chin sticking out defiantly. "Why aren't you all cut up? You're hands are bloody but your face is fine. And you shielded me when we crashed so that's not possible."

Inuyasha growled and let go of her completely, eyes straying to the forest. He sought out an opening, something that would be large enough. "I don't know what you're talking about."

"Ugh!" Kagome complained, following hot on his heels. "Yes, you do! I'm not an idiot, despite what you like to call me. So fess up, cat boy."

Jesus _Christ_. "First of all," Inuyasha snapped, whipping around so fast she nearly fell backwards in her haste to get some space. "I'm a dog demon. _Dog_. These aren't cat ears so stop calling them _that_!" He was yelling. He was yelling at some stupid high school girl and she was _infuriating_. "Second, it's because I'm a half-demon. Okay? I'm stronger, faster, have advanced senses and an advanced metabolism. I heal faster. And there's a lot of other things I'm better at than humans, so _back off_."

Kagome took another step back, hands up like she was trying to placate him. That was nothing but a lie. The girl wouldn't know how to placate a rock.

And this was _stupid_. He was fighting with some fifteen year-old over his abilities. Inuyasha didn't have to answer her on anything. His job was to protect his family, which meant hiding the goddamn car so the authorities didn't come knocking. With that last thought, he took a deep breath and forgave himself for one last growl. He had to focus.

Without a glance back, the half-demon looked over the treeline until he found what he was looking for. It was an opening – not a large one and covered in bushes – but it would have to do. It would be a pain in the ass to haul the car in that far but he didn't have other options. They were lucky the three-eyed crow demon attacked when it did, while they were still off and a good kilometre from the main road. Less people travelled down their way but their luck wouldn't hold out for long. Someone would find them and call the cops.

Returning to the destroyed car, Inuyasha bent down and ignored the stabbing pain in his leg. He grabbed whatever was a decent hold and lifted, huffing angrily with the effort. The car was fucking heavy.

"What are you doing?" Kagome asked, incredulous. "You can't lift a–"

When he picked it up enough that he could drag it, Kagome cut herself off, dark brown eyes wide. "Holy shit," she whispered.

"What part of me being stronger didn't you understand?" Inuyasha bit out, almost angry. It was irrational, at this point. Something about her set him off, especially now that she smelled of blood and death. Whatever. He had to focus. It took an agonizingly long time to drag the car into the trees. The bushes proved even more difficult, the base of them getting caught in the metal and making it hard to force the vehicle further back. By the time he was done, Inuyasha was sweating and exhausted, his leg killing him. He shoved at the car once more and then stopped, taking a few steps back and staring at the now dark sky.

He was so tired.

There was the sound of rustling and of twigs, but Inuyasha ignored it. There was no one around except for Kagome, her heartbeat steady and familiar. Instead of the sounds of wildlife around them, he listened to its pattern, the _tha-thump_ like a metronome in his mind. It was almost calming. It would have been, had he been anywhere but outside in a ditch.

"I think I covered it a bit more," Kagome said quietly, breaking the silence.

Inuyasha noticed how the bits of shiny metal where now covered in leaves and branches, clearly taken from the ground. Kagome was standing by the spot awkwardly, looking at her hands. "We should get back," he said. "Get your wounds cleaned and bandaged before you go home. Mushin has a car we can take."

Kagome grimaced and even with her face down it was nearly impossible to ignore. "I don't know how I'm going to feel getting in another car right now."

Sighing, the half-demon already knew the other option. It was one they'd have to take anyways, just to get back to Sango's house. "We'll figure it out," he replied instead. Stepping closer, he waited until the girl looked at him before crouching down. "Get on."

Kagome stared at him like he was insane. "What?"

He hated this part. "Get on my back," Inuyasha clarified, waving his hands a little.

"I can walk."

She really had to make it hard. She had to make everything impossible. "Thanks for sharing that obvious fun fact but if you don't get on my back right now, I'll carry you another way and you're not going to like it."

Instead of what he expected – which was more yelling and complaining – Kagome simply rolled her eyes and came closer, stepping into his space and wrapping her arms around his neck. As carefully as he could, the half-demon stood up.

Shit, this was a mistake.

His leg was protesting unhappily, but that wasn't even the problem. In fact, the pain was almost welcome. Because the moment he lifted her and got his hands around her legs, Kagome was pressed tight against him, her face mere inches from his.

Her scent.

It was going to drive him wild.

"For fuck's sake," Inuyasha muttered under his breath.

Kagome shifted slightly and that was _not helping_. "What?"

The half-demon couldn't have answered nicely even if he wanted to. "Nothing," he snapped. "Just hold on tight."

He ran. The first few steps were slow but the more momentum he gained, the faster and faster he was able to travel. Kagome's grip around him tightened, her thighs nearly a vice around his hips. He could hear her heartrate skyrocket, could smell the fear and adrenaline coming off of her. Tonight was practically a showcase of all of his skills to the human, and what a time it was.

"Calm down," he said, turning his head slightly to face her. It was a bad idea – a _very_ bad idea – but he tried his best to take in only shallow breaths, trying to communicate with his gaze alone that she wasn't in any danger. There were a lot of things to be fearful of and while Inuyasha was undoubtedly one of them, in this moment that wasn't the case.

"You're so fast." Kagome's chocolate-coloured gaze was looking everywhere, taking in the blur of scenery as best as she could.

"We went over this already."

There was a snort and Inuyasha rolled his eyes, focusing on the path before him. "It's one thing for you to tell me," Kagome conceded, "and a whole other thing to witness first hand. What else can you do?"

It wasn't like before. He wasn't mad at her in that moment and he was running, smelling the forest and the earth and another scent that was uniquely hers. It was enough to almost make his lips twitch. Almost. "A few other things," he commented eventually, not yet ready to give it all up. Kagome didn't press.

The Houko home came into view after only a few minutes. Inuyasha didn't bother with the garage and instead took them through the main front doors, the closest to a washroom with a first aid kit. It wasn't until he had burst in and carried the girl there, shifting her around in his arms before dropping her off on the countertop that he realized his entrance wasn't exactly calming.

"What the hell happened?" Miroku asked, blue eyes wide as he took them both in. They were covered in dirt and blood. Flakes of brown were starting to peel off of his arms, his nail beds nearly black. Kagome's clothes were almost tatters, the arms nearly gone.

"The crow demon," Inuyasha replied shortly, bending down to get the med kit. "It sent a flock to crash into the windshield and smash it. We drove off the road and rolled in the ditch. Car's done for." He took out the antiseptic and grabbed a cloth, shoving at her hands until she hovered them over the sink. "We ran back here."

"Shit, _Sango_!" Miroku yelled. "Get over here!" He turned back to them, trying to get closer to inspect the cuts. "These don't look too bad. You said the windshield shattered?"

"Inuyasha covered most of me," Kagome answered. "And I threw my hands up to protect me."

Sango burst into the bathroom then, nudging her way through. "What the hell is going on?"

"The crow demon," Inuyasha repeated. Her hands were fine and he pushed up the bits and pieces of her sleeves to get at her arms. There were less cuts but far more scratches, likely from the crows trying to get at her. To be safe, he poured more antiseptic on the cloth and rubbed at her arm, trying to get all of the blood and dirt gone.

"You wash first, _then_ add antiseptic," Sango corrected, smacking his shoulder. "And what happened to the crow demon?"

"He's dead." Inuyasha grabbed another cloth and got back to work, cleaning everything out. Kagome was surprisingly silent, sitting on the counter and barely moving as he did everything.

Sango frowned. "Dead? What happened?"

"Crows attacked, broke the windshield, rolled the car. The car's a hunk of dead metal and I killed the demon." Sango made to touch Kagome's shoulder and he growled, glaring at his best friend. He was working and didn't need her moving her clothes to spread the dirt around. The scent of blood was just starting to disappear and though antiseptic wasn't the best smell at least it was _clean_. Wasn't that obvious?

"Uh, maybe you can get her some clothes to borrow?" Miroku suggested. It was clear the question was directed towards Sango and the magenta-eyed girl paused for only a moment before disappearing. "Inuyasha, are you okay?"

"Me?" He spared a second to give Miroku an incredulous look. "Yeah. What's that look for?"

Miroku blinked at him. "Nothing." He said the word slowly, confused. "Did you manage to ask the crow demon what he was doing in Sakura?"

For a second, Inuyasha felt nothing but petulant anger. It flushed through him, quick and vicious. He took a deep breath, smelling past the sanitizer. "Couldn't," he said finally, shaking his head. "The thing had just dive-bombed the car and I just–" He didn't know how to finish that sentence.

What had he been thinking? Killing demons wasn't what they _simply_ did. They protected the town of Sakura, which meant that they needed to force demons to talk, to find out their motives. Not all of them would and some demons couldn't physically communicate. But with the crow demon, he hadn't even tried.

Frowning, Inuyasha put the cloth down by the antiseptic.

"Can I?"

The question made him blink and the half-demon looked up slightly to meet Kagome's eyes. The whole time, it had been like he'd been finishing some chore, not even recognizing that what he was doing was for her. Kagome reached out and grabbed the cloth, turning as best as she could on the counter to look at her face in the mirror.

"I'm never going to be able to look at a crow the same way again." Kagome shuddered but it was hard to tell if it was horror or the sting of putting antiseptic on the gash in her cheek.

"Demons will do that to you," Miroku replied, giving her a small smile. "Here, there are Band-Aids in the kit. Did you want some water?"

"Take these!" Sango came back into the room and tossed a pair of leggings and an oversized pink sweatshirt onto the countertop. "Get out of the mess you're wearing now."

"Thanks," Kagome responded, grinning at her. "And I don't need any water, but thank you. I honestly should just get home. Mom will be worried soon and I lost my phone in the car when we rolled."

Inuyasha tried very hard not to think about what was coming next. He distanced himself as best as he could, leaving the room and letting the other three talk. A glass of water would do him well. He needed a moment away, a second to breathe without the overwhelming scent of her filling his nostrils. It was almost too much. Why the hell did she smell so good to him?

One glass of water turned into three. He stood alone in the kitchen, picking up the sound of the others talking in low tones and letting the lull of it comfort him. Mushin was in the living room, snoring away while some commercial played on the television. Despite all of the changes in the last two weeks, this was still home.

"Hey," Miroku called, entering the kitchen. "Are you going to take Mushin's car?"

He was already shaking his head before the question finished. "No, I'll run her home. She's not really fond of cars right now."

Miroku shook his head, face grim. "This isn't good, Inuyasha. The fact that the crow demon attacked you when it wasn't even completely dark tells us that something's going on. Something big."

"We'll figure it out," Inuyasha replied, nodding his head. "Did you make the call yet?"

His friend sighed and leaned against the counter. "No. Honestly, I've just been trying to calm Sango down. She wants to drive over to Valley Hills and confront Takeda in person."

"It'd be a blood bath."

"For him, yeah." Miroku sighed again and Inuyasha hadn't seen the guy so tired in his whole life. "We'll call while you're gone."

Inuyasha nodded, gesturing with his head at the sound of the girls making their way towards the kitchen. Sango was the first to poke her head in, Kagome following close behind.

"You sure you're okay?" Sango asked, eyeing the girl skeptically.

"I'll probably have nightmares but it won't be that different than usual," Kagome answered, laughing a bit. The dark circles under her eyes proved it was hardly a joke but the half-demon knew better than to say anything.

He just wanted to get this over with. "Let's go."

Kagome trailed behind him and waved to Miroku and Sango as they headed towards the garage. He took off his shoes and the baseball cap, glaring at the blue monstrosity as it dropped to the counter. This time when he crouched down, Kagome didn't hesitate to hold onto him. The scent of her was just as overpowering – more so, with the blood and grim gone – but Sango's familiar smell was all over the clothes she wore. It put him slightly at ease and as he took off, he set them for the most direct path through the woods.

There was no agreement, but neither of them spoke as he ran. The slowly waning moon was providing the barest amount of light through the clouds and trees, the rustle of leaves and snapping of twigs the only sound. Even her breathing as even, as calm as if they were relaxing. Her grip was still tight with her arms and legs but she didn't scream or worry. There wasn't the smell of fear at all.

Inuyasha didn't get her. He didn't understand the girl he carried, how anxiety seemed to blanket around her but at the oddest times was simply gone. When they had been attacked earlier, she had panicked but hadn't overreacted. And they fought, sure. But Inuyasha fought with everyone.

Her scent though, that was different. It was potent. It was lulling, in a sort of false sense of security. Inuyasha could press his face into her neck and immerse himself in it, and he'd feel better. There was no reason for knowing that, but he did.

It would never happen though.

As the treeline broke ahead, the half-demon slowed. His footfalls were still as light as ever but they slowed to a walk. Inuyasha waited until they breached the forest before stopping, his arms loosening his hold so that she could slip down his body. For a moment, the black-haired girl stood beside him, staring at her house.

"My backpack," she whispered quietly, as if worried too much noise would upset some kind of balance. "It has all my school work in it."

"In the car?" he asked.

She nodded and Inuyasha held back a sigh. He knew where he'd be that night.

"Thank you," she said suddenly, turning to face him. Her eyes were almost black from the lack of light, features barely illuminated. "Thanks for saving me and for bringing me home. Again."

Crossing his arms, Inuyasha shrugged. "Don't mention it."

Kagome opened her mouth and the half-demon could tell she was going to press, to make the situation more than it was. Inuyasha levelled her with a glare, hoping it wasn't as desperate-looking as it felt. Regardless, the girl froze for a second and then pressed her lips together, a tiny smile showing. "Yeah, okay."

She watched him for a moment longer, that tiny smile still in place, and then Kagome walked away. Inuyasha waited along the forest's edge, listening for the sounds of disturbance in the wind and in the trees. There was nothing there but he kept still all the same.

He didn't turn around until he heard her back door shut and lock. Inuyasha took off at a run, faster and faster and faster until his lungs burned. He was late getting back, Miroku and Sango having long fallen asleep, but it was worth it.

Inuyasha didn't smell the scent of her on him anymore.

* * *

Mushin levelled Inuyasha with a disapproving look the second the half-demon walked into the kitchen. It was that kind of morning.

"Crow demons, huh?"

Inuyasha didn't correct the old man that it was, in fact, just one demon with a bunch of normal crows. Instead, he fumbled through the fridge for the eggs and got started on breakfast. The disappointed look didn't taper off, even as Mushin sipped on his tea. "They took me by surprise."

The old man hummed, considering. "How strange that they attacked you unprovoked."

It was strange. While running last night, it was the only thing that circled over and over in his mind. Why the hell would the three-eyed crow demon attack them like that? What was the advantage? If it wanted to kill someone, there was a far better chance of picking them off while doing rounds in the forest. Generally at least one of them was alone, or at least without him. Sango and Miroku were great demon slayers but they weren't of demonic heritage.

So if it wasn't convenience, then what was its motivator?

"I assume you'll need my car," Mushin said into the silence. "It's old so be gentle with it."

"Be gentle with what?" Sango asked on a yawn, stepping into the kitchen. Her hair was still wet from the shower and in a sloppy bun, rivulets of water falling down her temples. Miroku was close behind, stepping into her space before blinkingly sleepily.

"His car," Inuyasha explained. It would be poor taste to roll his eyes, considering the old man was giving them the car without issue. "Do you think you could talk to one of the other families and see if they have a car we can buy off them?" They couldn't exactly go to a dealership, not with Inuyasha being the primary driver and Mushin being old enough that driving was almost a bad idea.

Miroku nodded and waved dismissively. He blinked as Sango sat down beside him at the table and only really focused when Inuyasha dropped their scrambled eggs in front of them. "What time did you get back?" he asked.

"Late. I did another run of the forest." No need to explain why. The attack on the car was reason enough. He nodded in the direction of the front door, remembering something. "I grabbed Kagome's backpack and managed to find her phone. It's a bit cracked. You'll need to get it to her." That was another thing he didn't need to dive into, didn't need to explain.

Luckily, Sango was clearly in her own headspace and it was evident soon enough. After a few bites, she banged her fork on the table. "We got a hold of Takeda last night."

"And?" Inuyasha pressed.

She shook her head. "He swears on his father's life that they watched the demon dissipate after we left."

Miroku snorted. "I highly doubt that the two of them stood there the whole time. That bear demon was huge."

"But they swear they don't have anything," Sango repeated, shaking her head. "If they don't have any part of the demon left or held by magic, then maybe I'm wrong." The second the words were out, it was like she deflated, magenta eyes glaring at her eggs. Inuyasha knew her, far too well. When her parents and brother died, she didn't sleep for a solid sixty hours. It hadn't been until Inuyasha and Miroku practically forced her into bed, both of them holding her down with steel-trap like hugs that the girl actually passed out. She had been too focused on finding the demon, on planning the funeral, on reaching out to every demon slayer in the area for insight. She hadn't slept or eaten or done anything remotely healthy.

Not that he blamed her.

The look she was giving was a strict reminder of how far she had come, and how easy it would be to see her collapse again. Inuyasha smacked his fork into hers, waiting until she looked at him before speaking. "I still think you're right."

Miroku nodded. "Takeda isn't exactly the best at doing what's right. I highly doubt he and his father stayed the whole time. Just because they don't have some piece of the bear demon lying around, doesn't mean someone else doesn't."

Groaning, Sango buried her head in her hands. "That's even worse!"

"Still an easy fix if we can force his demonic spirit into rest." Miroku sighed before shovelling another forkful of eggs into his mouth. "Mushin should know something strong enough."

Said old man didn't even look up from the newspaper he was reading. He simply hummed again and took another sip of his tea.

"I'm talk to Kagome then at school," Sango said. "See if she can come over tonight so we go over a plan."

Inuyasha wasn't an idiot and this complete change of heart from Sango surprised him. He frowned at her but she simply ignored him, eyes on her food. Miroku wasn't any help either, focused too much on eating what was left of his plate. Maybe he missed something? They were pretty friendly yesterday, riding together for the rounds. "Why are you Team Kagome all of a sudden?" he asked, wary.

Shrugging and still refusing to look up, Sango offered only, "She wants to protect her family."

Well then. Inuyasha watched in silence, finishing up his breakfast. Kagome must have said something to Sango that got to her, that struck a chord on the whole family thing. It didn't take a genius to figure out that Sango was on a massive, undeserved guilt trip over the death of her family. The one time she asked to stay home and finish up homework projects, and her family was murdered in the woods. It had been such a simple job, no one even thought twice about it.

But now, all Sango did was think twice about it. Three times. Four. Five. More.

"You seem to get along with her well enough," Miroku stated, completely out of the blue.

Inuyasha stared at him incredulously. Where the hell had that come from? "You mean I haven't killed her yet?"

A huge grin – far too big for the conversation – split across the young man's face. His blue eyes were delighted. It was an unfairly good look, which made it even more terrible. Inuyasha hated him. "Sure, buddy," he said, standing up and grabbing his plate to wash, "that's what I mean."

* * *

The old car smelled like tobacco and stale air freshener. It was basically embedded into every surface of the vehicle, age and reuse never letting the scent memory go. It was strong enough that Inuyasha wondered if he'd ever get the smell out of his nose.

And then Kagome got into the car.

He was almost angry at how little he was prepared for it. Every time he was near her, the scent that wafted off of her curled around him like a blanket. No one had ever smelled so strongly to him before, so _good_.

It was almost worse once they got home. The moment they stepped inside, Inuyasha went into the basement for the weapons again while everyone changed. He could hear the three of them already heading towards the garage as he climbed the stairs but the foyer still…carried it. Her scent. Inuyasha knew it would disappear within an hour or so, but the realization unnerved him.

The half-demon tried to ignore them completely when they arrived to the training area. He took off at a run, leaving them to decide for themselves what to do. His circuit of the forest earlier had been quiet, calm. After the events of last night, Inuyasha was surprised to find that he didn't welcome it. He needed action. He needed _something_ to happen. Tonight they were going to come up with a game plan for the bear demon but it wasn't…enough.

Inuyasha remembered the feeling of ripping apart flesh, of hot crimson sliding down his hands and arms. There had been so much energy, so much of a drive to rely on instinct over reason.

Skidding to a stop, Inuyasha stared straight ahead at the cave deep in the forest. Surrounded as it was by streams and rocks and trees, the half-demon found himself going there more often than not. There was nothing calming about it but when his mind was racing, it was as good a place as any to go. And right then, in that moment, Inuyasha knew his demonic side was trying to wedge its way in. That feeling of life by causing death? That feeling of freedom and release? It was demonic. It was evil.

Ever since the night of Mistress Centipede, Inuyasha hadn't been able to ignore what was always lingering under the surface. The want. The need. The cravings for more.

For power.

"Inuyasha!"

It was Sango's voice, though faint from the distance. No human would have heard it, but his ears picked it up without issue. With one last long look at the cave, the half-demon spun around and ran in the direction of the training area. She didn't sound panicked so there wasn't an attack. The sun wasn't even close to setting yet. Were they stopping already?

He broke into the clearing just in time to see Miroku burst out into laughter, pointing at Sango as if she had done the funniest thing in the world. Kagome was grinning, bow comfortable in her hand. Several feet away, targets were littered with arrows, nearly all of them dead centre.

The girl could shoot. Inuyasha had to give her that.

"There you are," Sango announced, making the other two turn. "Nice of you to join us."

"Wasn't aware I was needed." Crossing his arms, Inuyasha took in the situation. Their faces gave nothing away, the light-heartedness of whatever they were talking about before still resonating. It lulled him into a false sense of security. "What's up?"

"Hand-to-hand combat training," Sango stated cheerfully. She raised a brow at him. "You up for it?"

Snorting, the half-demon barely stopped himself from rolling his eyes. "I think the better question is if you are." Out of the two of them, Sango was the only person relatively close to knocking him down. Miroku got lucky on occasion but for the most part, his demonic heritage was too much of a favour to him.

"Oh, not me."

Inuyasha blinked, realizing only then that he had been so, so stupid.

Miroku nodded, agreeing to something that hadn't even been spoken out loud. "Sango and I know the drill but we're not the best fighters. Kagome needs training and if anyone is going to be able to teach her, it'll be you."

No.

 _No_.

Kagome frowned. "Hey!" she yelled, clearly displeased. "It's not _that_ bad."

His facial expression must have said it all. Behind Kagome, Sango was poorly containing her smile and Miroku simply looked disappointed. He always did when Inuyasha was failing at some social concept. By now, that look didn't even faze him.

"Don't be a dick," Kagome added, cocking her hip and glaring.

"I'm not being anything," he argued. He couldn't help himself. Something about her made him want to _fight_.

Kagome scoffed and turned around, showing him her back and looking at their friends. "Are you sure about this? You said it would be fine but he looks like he'd rather die."

"Inuyasha just hates hand-to-hand combat practice anyways," Sango assured her, which was a lie. A big, fat, blatant lie. "He always complains about it."

 _Asshole._ He mouthed to words at her the second those magenta eyes glanced at him.

Sango just smiled.

"Whatever," Inuyasha bit out. He headed towards one of the fenced in areas, leaping over without a backwards glance. "Get over here."

" _Get over here_ ," Kagome mimicked, voice strangled. What a stupid, freaking girl with–

With– With–

Her big dark eyes glaring at him flashed in his mind. Inuyasha shut that thought down immediately, pushed it even further away the closer her warm scent got to him.

She was a stupid, freaking girl with nothing. Nothing at all.

He waited impatiently as Kagome struggled to get inside, the gate mainly stuck from disuse. All of them just lunged or jumped over it. She'd have to learn eventually. Her brown eyes narrowed at him when she seemed to figure it out, hands grasping at old wood to start to climb.

"Couldn't you have just told me?" she asked, hauling herself over and nearly falling on the other side.

Inuyasha sighed and ignored that comment. "Have you ever fought anyone before?" The look she levelled at him was filled with daggers. Frankly, the half-demon didn't think he deserved it. "Self-defence? Anything remotely useful?"

"No," Kagome answered, crossing her arms. Unlike earlier, there was nothing defiant or headstrong about her answer. If anything, she seemed to shrink. It was strange to witness and confusing as all hell. "I don't like confrontation."

"That's going to be hard when fighting a demon. They don't exactly reason with you."

"Demons are different," Kagome said, shaking her head.

Snorting, Inuyasha approached her slowly, watching the way she tracked him with her eyes. That, at least, was good. "You've met one demon."

"Two," she replied. "You're one."

"I'm half."

Some kind of bizarre look crossed her face, one he hadn't seen and couldn't figure out. "Fine, so what are you going to teach me first?"

The answer was pretty obvious. "How to survive. How well do you shoot with a gun?"

Wincing, Kagome seesawed her hand. "Not amazing? I'm still working on it with Sango."

"Did you at least hit the damn target?"

"Mostly."

Great. _Mostly_.

Kagome hugged her arms tighter to herself, as if giving some sort of physical pep talk. "I prefer to shoot with a bow. I'm good at that."

That would be much less ideal. Bows were so much slower and even though Sango's family had purchased good quality, strong bows they still wouldn't be great in a fight. Inuyasha stared at her, watching the way she was looking just over his shoulder. This was going to be _awful_. "Whatever," he muttered, jumping high into the air before she could say anything. He landed by one of the wooden half-walls in the clearing, where the bow and a quiver of arrows sat from earlier. Inuyasha grabbed them and returned, thrusting them into her hands. "This is going to be the hardest thing you've ever done," the half-demon said finally, knowing his voice sounded blunt and sharp.

Kagome set up the quiver and gripped the bow, her movements sure and smooth. Even that wasn't going to help her.

"With any luck," Inuyasha murmured, his golden gaze meeting her dark brown one, "you don't die instantly."

"I don't want to die at all," Kagome pointed out, reaching back for an arrow.

Inuyasha snorted and took a few steps away. " _Want_ has nothing to do with it."

* * *

Kagome wasn't talking to him.

He should have expected it but it still pissed him off. Infuriated him for reasons that were beyond him. Because even Sango and Miroku at their very worst – _combined_ – didn't put him off as much as she did. It was everything about her.

Training had consisted of her drawing and re-drawing over and over again until she could fire an arrow before he killed her. No such luck. It had also consisted of him teaching her how to fall properly, which meant he pushed her down all the time, threw her off-balance just to see how she could react. Poorly, was the correct answer.

All-in-all, it hadn't been what he was teaching her that made her mad. In fact, Kagome had been intensely quiet throughout. She didn't yell or fight him or argue at all. There was no defiance, just careful listening. It was almost enjoyable.

Until he tried to show her how to stab him with an arrow while starting to roll backwards.

"So," Sango said, breaking the silence in the kitchen. All of them were eating dinner quietly, having gone inside when the sun had started to set. "We need to come up with a plan for the bear demon."

Kagome frowned. "Don't you mean its ghost or whatever?"

"Not ghost," Miroku corrected. "The bear demon's spirit. We need to put it to rest so that it stops this madness."

"I still don't really get it," Kagome sighed. "Do some demons not die at all?"

Inuyasha rolled his eyes and Sango shot him an amused glance before answering. "Three years ago, my family and I travelled a few towns over to help a friend with a demon problem. That demon was a bear demon, who had been killing locals who were running along the trails in its forest. The demon was massive so all of us worked together to take it down."

"Doesn't that mean you were twelve?"

"Thirteen." Sango shrugged. "Demon slaying was something my family always did. We learned at a young age. At the time, my brother had been too young to come but he was still really good with a weapon. Supervised, obviously."

Miroku chuckled and Kagome looked between the two of them like they were crazy. Inuyasha figured that from an outsider's perspective, it was. Both Sango and Kohaku had been doing little missions here and there since they were eleven.

"We killed the bear demon," Sango continued, "but with him being so large, it took a long time for his body to decompose. My family wanted to head home and the friend we fought alongside, with his son, promised to watch over and ensure the bear demon was completely gone."

"But they didn't," Kagome finished. She narrowed her eyes at Inuyasha, making the half-demon raise his eyebrows. He hadn't even said anything and he was getting looks. What was her _deal_? "You told me that someone could use a kind of spell to keep part of the demon whole, right? Like a trophy?"

It was almost impossible to miss the incredulous look Miroku shot him. He and Kagome had talked about that while alone in his old bedroom. The fact he said anything at all probably surprised his friend. If the half-demon was being honest with himself, he too was surprised by his own decisions. The girl just drove him crazy. The silence dragged on long enough to become awkward.

Sango hummed thoughtfully, drawing the attention back to her. "Basically. If someone had taken part of the bear demon's pelt, or a claw, or anything from him and kept it from decomposing with a spell, then the demon isn't completely dead. A part of it still lives."

"Hence the spirit not at rest," Miroku added, nodding. "Sango's family had been responsible for its death three years ago. It seems like it came back to exact revenge."

Inuyasha pushed the food on his plate around with his fork, trying not to stare at Kagome too obviously. The way she reacted to everything – all the knowledge, all the horrors – was never like he expected her to handle it. This situation wasn't any different. At first, her face was nothing but curious, attentive. Not unlike when they had been training earlier. Now, her expression was confused.

"But why now?"

The question was a bit shocking and Inuyasha frowned for even thinking it. How had that not been a question on his mind before?

But he knew why. Inuyasha wasn't an idiot and even if he didn't share his thoughts honestly with others, he tried at the very least to be honest with himself. The reason he hadn't asked that question was because he'd been too distracted by Kagome. By explaining things to her, by telling her that he couldn't protect her, by her _scent_ , by her arguments with him in the car and her arguments with him at the side of the road. The way her blood made the smell of her _wrong_ , especially when layered with grime and pieces of dead crow. The way her arms circled around his neck and her thighs held on tightly as he ran her back home through the forest.

Kagome shrugged, the movement jerky enough to snap him out of his thoughts. "If the demon was mad, don't you think he would have gotten revenge a little sooner than three years later?"

"It's a good point," Miroku said, eyeing Sango. "But we're not going to know the answer to that. Not until we find it."

"We need to lure it to us," Sango stated. "We haven't been able to track it because it's a spirit and not an actual demon. There's no way for us to find it unless it wants to be found. So we'll draw it out."

"How?"

Sango gave a small smile. "I use myself as bait. I am the one, after all, that killed it the first time around."

* * *

Inuyasha didn't like it, but they had created a plan that would hopefully work to lure out the spirit of the bear demon. It was a plan built on Sango risking her life time and time again, with only the hope that Inuyasha would be fast enough to protect her and Miroku would put an end to everything quickly. The plan got even _worse_ when Kagome insisted that she be a part of it on the nights that she could be. She had promised to not get in the middle and to stay on the outskirts, providing at most some support from afar with her bow.

Inuyasha despised this plan.

"Kagome aside," he pointed out, trying not to growl her name, "you shouldn't be traipsing into the woods alone. It's obviously still incredibly powerful and I'm not letting you risk your life!"

"Tough," Sango replied, glaring at him. "This is my call to make and my decision. I can handle myself."

"I know you can," Inuyasha growled, "but so could–" He stopped himself immediately, practically biting his tongue to hold the words back. Because if her parents and Kohaku hadn't been able to stop the spirit of the bear demon, then Sango alone wouldn't stand a chance. "Miroku! Why aren't you fighting this?"

Miroku sighed and looked down at the table. "We already fought about it last night. You're not going to sway her."

"For fuck's sake," Inuyasha cursed, standing up and crossing his arms. He couldn't sit still and do nothing. He couldn't listen while Sango planned her own death just because she thought it was poetic. Avenging her family was one thing but killing herself in the process wasn't going to make anything better.

And Inuyasha couldn't keep a distance from her, knowing that if he didn't hear her warning and come fast enough, she'd be dead.

"And least take Miroku with you," he spat finally. "One human isn't going to stop the demon from taking its revenge on you. It's me that's the problem so take Miroku."

"I'm not putting–"

"Done," Miroku interjected, nodding like it was final.

"No!" Sango yelled, nearly going shrill at the suggestion. "No, that's not the plan. I won't let you!"

"What are you going to do, knock me out?" Miroku gave Sango a look that Inuyasha couldn't read, but knew that the magenta-eyed girl surely could. "Try and think clearly about this. Having me beside you won't lessen the chance of the bear attacking and it may increase the chance of keeping you in one piece. It's a good idea, Sango."

"And what?" Sango asked, voice nearly trembling. She threw her arms to the side, as if the question alone spoke volumes. "What if you die protecting me? What will Inuyasha and I do? Huh?" Jerkily she stood up, her seat skidding backwards with the speed of it. She shook her head and left the kitchen, her bedroom door slamming only a moment later.

Miroku took a deep breath, looking at Inuyasha on the exhale. He looked as tired as the half-demon felt. "That went well."

Snorting, Inuyasha shook his head. "Trying to kill herself to avenge her family isn't going to cut it with me."

"You need to tell her that."

"Not a good idea." Shaking his head, Inuyasha grabbed the forgotten dinner plates on the table and started to move them towards the sink.

Miroku sighed and nodded. He knew as well what an argument between Inuyasha and Sango could entail. The last time one happened, Inuyasha had to sleep on a nest of pillows in a very drafty room, considering his entire bed had flown through the wall of the house into the backyard. "I'll talk to her."

"Don't let her big eyes get you," Inuyasha muttered. "I can't believe you listened to this plan last night and didn't veto it immediately."

"What do you want me to do?" Miroku asked, desperation clear in his voice. "I either go along with her plans to keep her close, enough to hopefully change her mind later _or_ I fight her on it and she doesn't talk to me for a whole goddamn week!"

There was a loud, shuddering inhale. Inuyasha's gaze snapped away from his best friend, only to land on Kagome still sitting at the table, her body curling in on itself. He could hear her heartrate skyrocketing, could smell the anxiety and fear settling into the room like a suffocating blanket. In a second he was by her chair, pushing it away from the table to give her more space. She was so pale, her dark brown eyes glassy and distant.

"Miroku!" he shouted, unsure of what to do.

His best friend was behind him immediately, eyes wide. He gently put his hands on her shoulders, gripping her hard enough that she should have noticed. "Kagome, you need to take deep breaths. Nice and big, listen to my breathing. You're having a panic attack, okay? Just breathe with me."

Kagome looked up at him then, looking shakier than he'd ever seen. Miroku started to take deep breaths, slow and steady, and Inuyasha found himself matching the pace. It took only a few minutes but it felt so much longer. Eventually, Kagome was breathing with them, body relaxing bit by bit into the chair.

"Do you want to sit in the living room?" Miroku suggested, taking his hands off of her.

Kagome nodded, coughing a little while standing up. Inuyasha got out of his crouch and backed away enough to let her pass by. Her could hear the steady beat of her heart, still faster than normal but much better than before. She was calming down, coming back from wherever she had went.

Shit, how had he missed it?

Inuyasha grabbed a glass and filled it with water before going into the living room. Kagome was on the big couch with Miroku in the loveseat to the side, giving her lots of space. She was smiling at him though, just a tiny one and Inuyasha could feel himself relaxing as her scent edged away from the panic that was lingering before. "Here," he said, putting the water down in front of her.

Kagome looked up at him in surprise. "Oh, thank you."

When she took her first sip, Inuyasha let out a breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding. He glanced over at Miroku, who was watching him already.

"I should probably head home," Kagome said softly. "Sorry about that."

Miroku turned his expression onto her, face incredulous. "I'm pretty sure we should be sorry. We don't normally fight but things have been hard around here lately."

Kagome shook her head. "No, I totally understand. I don't– I don't think the fighting caused it. Sometimes it's hard to say. Usually I'm more aware of them coming and can calm myself down a bit, enough to not full-on panic. This one was pretty sudden."

"Still," Miroku pressed, "we shouldn't have fought like that."

With a small smile on her lips, Kagome shrugged. "It's fine. I should be going home anyways though. My mom will get worried if I'm much later."

Inuyasha listened to her heartbeat, unable to stop himself. Now that he'd noticed it, it was going to be difficult to let it go until she was out of earshot. "Did you want me to drive or run you home?"

"What's faster?" Kagome asked.

"Running."

Kagome nodded and put down the water, only half-finished. "I'll grab my stuff. Say bye to Sango for me, okay?" she asked, looking at Miroku.

They headed towards the garage when she was ready, both silent. That wasn't unusual for Inuyasha but for Kagome, he was almost worried. Maybe the attack took a lot out of her and the quiet was a common reaction. Maybe the whole world of demons and slaying was too much.

He wanted to ask her which it was. Inuyasha could feel himself wanting to utter the question, wanted to watch her expression and listen to her heartbeat as she answered.

Inuyasha didn't say a word.

Her scent was just as powerful as it was the last time he had carried her home, running through the trees and dirt. He hadn't forgotten it, not for a moment, not as he held her tight and let the wind push everything else away.

When they approached the tree line, he skidded to a stop. Kagome hesitated for only a moment before climbing down, her hands trailing a path down his back as she steadied herself. He spared her a glance, taking note of her slumped shoulders and soft expression. She looked tired, resigned. The fire and irritation she had thrown at him at the end of their training was long gone, replaced with something far worse.

Inuyasha expected her to say something. She usually did. Instead, Kagome wrapped her hands around the straps of her backpack and took a step away.

"Thanks for bringing me home," she murmured quietly. "Have a good night."

He wanted to ask, ask about what had made her so mad at him, about why she'd started to panic, if she even knew why. Did it happen often? Was it new? Was it too much?

But he kept quiet, like he always did. When Kagome was gone from sight and the soft click of her door lock could be heard, the half-demon backed away.

One step. Another.

He frowned and spun on his heel, running as fast as his feet would take him.

* * *

There were good days and there were bad days. Today was a bad one.

Sango had been freaking out earlier, stressed over a test coming up and all of her other homework. It hadn't helped that their jaunt in the woods – Sango pressing herself against everything to bear her scent – brought forth nothing. It had been three days of circling the same area of the forest, just around the border between Sakura and Wells. The bear demon hadn't made an appearance.

It was stressing her out and by extension, him as well.

Sango was holed up in her bedroom, ignoring everything. Miroku was sitting in the living room, doing a piss-poor job of watching television because every few minutes he'd get up and pass Sango's room, pretending to go to his own or to the bathroom. He was about as subtle as a freight train.

The kitchen was the only escape. Inuyasha heard Mushin in there, shuffling around while the aroma of onion and meat filled the room. The old man was cooking dinner, chopping up some vegetables on the counter. He briefly looked up when the half-demon walked in, dark eyes following his steps before returning to the task at hand.

"Smells good," Inuyasha commented.

"Don't say that yet," Mushin said ruefully. "It's been a long time since I've had to cook for anyone other than myself. Here – chop these, will you?"

Inuyasha did as he was told, slowly and methodically cutting up the vegetables one by one. He hadn't ever really done much in the kitchen, besides recently taking over the role of making breakfast. The kitchen was silent save for the sizzling on the stove, and then Miroku's footsteps padded by. He was going back towards the bedrooms again.

"That boy is going to wear a trench into the hardwood," Mushin muttered, shaking his head.

Shrugging, the half-demon tried to play it off. "He's worried. Sango's been through a lot and Miroku's always been there for her." Especially recently, even though they'd been fighting more than ever before. It wasn't Sango's fault, and it wasn't Miroku's. It was circumstance, pure and simple.

"Love does that."

Inuyasha raised a brow, pausing in his work to study the old man. "Really?"

"What? Are you as blind as a bat?" Mushin snorted, amused with himself. "He's loved her since he was a kid. Even I know that."

And Inuyasha was well aware, of course he was. He'd been living with the two of them for ten years. But neither of them had acknowledged anything and Inuyasha wasn't fond of heart-to-heart conversations.

"I wasn't around much," Mushin said, out of the blue and eyes still focused on his hands as they prepared the food. "After Miroku's father died, I promised to take care of him. But I wasn't a good for it, or at it. Not good enough for a four year-old, anyways. At that point in my life, every time I closed my eyes there were demons circling." The old man turned away to head towards the stove, mixing the new ingredients in.

"But you knew Asato," Inuyasha said, nodding along. "You wanted him to take Miroku in so he could be with someone else his age."

Mushin chuckled, his whole body shaking with it. "That's how Asato sold everyone, but it's hardly the truth. He practically took Miroku from me," he corrected. "I wasn't fit for fatherhood or guardianship, not then. Asato was many things but a father above all. I visited when I wasn't travelling. Even though I couldn't take care of him, I still worried. His father meant a lot to me."

Miroku's father hadn't been a slayer but he had lived in a tiny town where strange circumstances couldn't be ignored. That's what Miroku said, anyways, when he told the tale. Miroku had never known his mother; she died when he was too young to even remember her. His father had never wanted to love again, but had found other women for comfort. _Comfort_ , Miroku would snort, both an innuendo and a sort of deprecating irony. Because in the end, it had been what destroyed everything.

One night, the women he had been partying with weren't truly human and his father had been cursed. A wind tunnel, so to speak, was placed in his hand that slowly grew bigger and bigger with time. It eventually engulfed him, leaving Miroku an orphan at the tender age of four. The curse had died with his father but no one had ever been able to catch the demon who had created it.

"Are you cooking, Inuyasha?" Sango appeared in the doorway, taking in the scene before her. There were vegetables everywhere.

He gestured towards Mushin, who was still at the stove. "You know I'm shit at this."

"Honestly, anything is better than takeout for the billionth time this week." Sango smiled and sidled closer. "Can I help?"

"You can set the table," Mushin suggested, "and tell Miroku to get in here. His wandering is annoying me."

Quirking a brow, Sango barely held back a laugh and exited the room again. Inuyasha paused in his chopping only long enough to meet the old man's gaze. "Really? Making Sango go and get him? He'd come here eventually."

"It'll make him feel better that Sango's looking for him." Mushin came back to the counter and grinned boyishly. "Besides, pining is a bad look on him."

* * *

The world outside, in the deep dark forest in the middle of the night, was the only place Inuyasha truly felt at home.

Everyone was in bed, trying to get some rest. Saturday they were planning to do a full day of training and patrol, hoping to catch the spirit of the bear demon. Kagome was supposed to come along apparently, but Inuyasha didn't think on that too closely. Anything to do with that girl never led to anywhere good.

It was past midnight, at least. Maybe even later – or earlier, depending on how you looked at it. Inuyasha was running along the edges of the treeline, weaving between the trees and occasionally leaping into the air. The night was warm for once, a wind front bringing hotter weather to Sakura. He had already run along most of the north-west side and was rounding a loop at the southern-most part of the forest's edge.

Thinking about Kagome never led to anywhere good, but it was pretty hard to avoid when he slowed at a familiar trail, her house just seconds away. He came to a stop before he told himself not to. The house was completely dark, its backyard nothing more than black wisps from the breeze. Inuyasha considered all of the windows and wondered which one led to Kagome.

Which wasn't good, he realized, moments later. And he _knew_ that because he repeated the same damn internal message over and over. But somehow, just like her scent, something about Kagome stuck. It was maddening. It was the only true word to describe it.

Inuyasha huffed and jumped, grabbing onto a nearby tree branch and swinging himself high into the air. He continued to run along the treeline and refused to look back, ears twitching forwards and eyes scouring the forest floor. It was probably because he was so focused that he noticed it, otherwise the half-demon was sure it never would have registered on his radar. There was a smell. It was– Weird. Musky almost, but not in a bad way. It reminded him of quick showers taken at one in the morning, coming back from a demon hunt and wanting nothing more than to be clean, even if it meant exhausting himself further.

But he was in the middle of the forest, not the hallway of their house or the steamed bathroom.

Frowning, Inuyasha followed the scent, footsteps slowing in the dirt as it got stronger. His golden eyes searched outside the treeline, gaze landing on a house that had a single light on in the lower level. He couldn't see much of it over the fence, but someone was definitely up. For a long moment, the half-demon debated what to do. The scent was _weird_ but didn't necessarily mean he should check it out.

But anything strange in Sakura was likely trouble.

Inuyasha wandered towards the fence, jumping slightly to catch the very top of it. Pulling himself up, he peered over and listened as intently as he could. There was some sort of yelling going on though he couldn't hear the exact words. It sounded heated though, a man yelling and smashing things. From his position, he couldn't see anything through the back door's window.

And then there was a scream. A male scream, not female. Not in anger either.

Fear.

Inuyasha leapt over the fence, keeping as close to the shadows as he could. He needed to see what was going on inside, what the hell could be making the weird smell so strong.

Another scream. A cry. Inuyasha was close enough now that he could hear the words. _Please, no, Saeko no! No! NO!_ Inuyasha couldn't see anything from the backdoor's window so he slid around the house, finding a wide open window. The smell was even stronger than before.

Instinctively, Inuyasha felt the growl build in his chest. There, in the middle of the living room, a woman floated, arms extended from her sides like she hung from a cross. In her one hand, a large carving knife dripped with blood. He couldn't see the man, not from the angle with the couch in the way, but he could hear mumbles. A litany of slurs, none of the words possible to make out.

The woman's eyes were half-lidded, like she was barely awake. She stared down dully at the ground, likely where her boyfriend or husband lay.

The sound of sirens could be heard in the distance and Inuyasha knew they were headed towards the house he was at. Someone must have called the cops from all the yelling. He couldn't stay; he couldn't be seen. Even now, if a neighbour was looking out the window the half-demon could be in a lot of trouble.

The litany of mumbling hadn't stopped though and Inuyasha couldn't turn away. He couldn't take his eyes off of the woman, suspended in mid-air. How was she floating? How was that even _possible_?

And then, with a jarring movement that shocked even the half-demon, the woman's body bent in half and she stabbed the knife down, down, down past where he couldn't see.

The musky scent grew even stronger, almost like a breeze blew by and wafted it towards him. The woman tumbled to the ground like strings had been cut.

The man on the ground wasn't mumbling any more.

* * *

 **Responses to Anon Reviewers (There are SO MANY!)**

Wakai: Thanks darling! I'm so glad you've been enjoying this crazy ride.

Chicagown: Oh wow, thank you so much! That's makes me so happy :D Updating schedule? I laugh at schedules. But in all seriousness, this should be updated much faster than it has been. I've joined Camp Nanowrimo for April so I'm hoping to write 30,000 words of this in the next month. That's around 3 chapter's worth. Also, the next chapter is basically written.

Guest: Thank you :D :D

Hello: AW thank you darling! You're way too kind.

Mal: Oh my god, that would have terrified me. What timing! Sango is an interesting character. I'm afraid of doing her wrong, you know? Because she just lost her family so she's going to be off. I wanted to show in the last chapter how she could be, given the chance. I'm hoping to have her shine a bit more but things are only going to get worse for her before it gets better :( I AM TERRIBLE AND A MONSTER I KNOW. Inuyasha's story is coming too, so, you know. Prepare for that.

Wolfsmaid: I had to! It wouldn't be a story by me if there wasn't a cliffy. This was kind of a cliffy? Not as bad though. I really hope you liked the Inuyasha and Kagome interaction here :D

Guest: I KNOW I AM SORRY BUT I REGRET NOTHING.

Yokaixx: Thank you so much love! I hope this chapter was worth the wait (and I promise to update much faster!)

ThatGirl: OH NO. Darling, I'm so, so sorry. I wish I could message you separately. You are brave and wonderful and I absolutely adore you. My condolences, beautiful. She was lucky to have someone like you.

* * *

 **xoxo, Witchy**


	5. Chapter 5

**Author's Note:** Friday the 13th is my jam, peeps. And, well, you were asking for some action...

* * *

 **That Flesh of Mine**

 **Chapter Five**

 _The more I stray, the less I fear and the more I reach, the more I fade away. The darkness right in front of me, oh it's calling out and I won't walk away._

 _(Rise Up, Imagine Dragons)_

* * *

The text came in at 7:16 a.m.

 _Come over when you can. Murder by demon._

It was followed by: _Don't rush. Cops will be at the crime scene until late._

Kagome blinked, her eyes still adjusting to the light from her phone. Her bedroom was mostly dark but there were bright spots of sunlight on the floor from the cracks in her curtains. Mind still foggy from sleep, she reread the messages a few times until it all sunk in.

Then, she raced out of bed.

She didn't bother to put on her running clothes, instead sliding on a pair of pajama pants to go with her sleep-warm t-shirt. Padding down the stairs, she slid into the living room and turned on the television, making sure to keep the volume so low it was barely understandable. It was enough though, just enough for her to hear.

"… _of the motive. Local authorities have charged his wife with first degree murder_ ," the reporter stated, face grim as he looked into the camera. " _This is the second murder in the town of Sakura in less than a week. In both murders, the wives of the victims have been charged._ "

It took Kagome a moment but she remembered the news, last Sunday when she was getting Grandpa for dinner. There had been a murder. It had been on Ayumi's street, too. Kagome felt a pang of guilt, realizing that she'd been so busy with all of the slayer training that she hadn't seen her friends in a long time. She hadn't even really talked to Ayumi and their shared literacy class wasn't the best time to speak about things like murder.

Kagome had to be better for her friends, Ayumi especially. She'd always been quick to make sure Kagome was okay when the stress was too much.

"What are you doing awake?" The question came from her mother who was looking at her with big, concerned eyes at the doorway.

Kagome turned guiltily back to the television before looking over at her mom, wondering what the best story to give was. Surely she couldn't explain how her new friends texted her about the most recent murder. Oh, and that it was caused by a demon. "Woke up early and couldn't go back to sleep," she said finally. Gesturing towards the TV, she frowned. "This was the channel it was on."

Her mom came to stand by her side, her expression morphing into worry the longer she watched the news report. "It's so close to home."

"At least the police have the main suspects in custody already." A lie. A horrible lie. Kagome wondered, not for the first time, how many people were sent to jail over something demonic. "This is depressing. Want some tea?"

The two of them sat at the kitchen table for most of the morning, chatting idly about school and her friends. Her mother had always been her confidant, the person she could turn to when things were difficult. For the first time ever, Kagome had a difficult time trying to make conversation. What could she tell her that was safe? She hadn't seen Yuka, Eri and Ayumi in a while so there weren't any real stories there. Anything to do with Sango, Miroku and Inuyasha was completely off-limits.

Until her mother asked, of course. "So, how is that poor Sango girl? How's she holding up?"

Kagome could feel her mouth go dry even as she parted her lips to answer. "Okay, I guess. I mean, she's not…great. You can see she's still hurting but she's really strong. Nothing stops her." Not even a bear demon risen back from whatever hell demons come from.

"You've been spending a lot of time with her," her mom went on kindly, smiling. "I'm sure she appreciates it."

"It's mostly for the project," Kagome replied, trying not to squirm. She looked down at the table though, unable to keep eye contact. "But I like her. I think we're becoming actual friends."

"Good, I'm glad." Standing up, her mother went to start breakfast, leaving Kagome with a pit in her stomach that hadn't been there before. Not even when she had woken up and the first thing she'd learned about was murder.

For the rest of the day, she mainly did her chores and helped around the house. It wasn't anything she wouldn't normally do, but every once and a while she caught her mom giving her odd looks. Kagome swore she knew about the lying but her mother never asked so Kagome never told. She waited until after dinner, paranoid and nervous, before asking if she could leave.

Not to Sango's though. To Ayumi's.

It was yet another lie. Kagome realized her mistake had been stressing how her friendship with Sango was only beginning and that they were together mainly for the project. There was no solid way to convince her mom that seeing Sango on a Saturday was in any way for schoolwork. It was too obvious; she had to make up something, something that would be believable.

Ayumi was the closest thing she had to a solid alibi. Both of her parents worked a considerable amount and neither of them spoke to her mom about anything. It lessened the chances of them chatting and discovering the lie for what it was. The biggest problem, however, was _getting there_.

"I'll give you a ride."

"No! Don't worry," Kagome said, smiling as calmly and as naturally as she could. Her mom turned away from the TV show she was watching, sitting up on the couch a little more at her words. "Ayumi and her mom are out so they're going to pick me up on their way home."

Frowning, her mother gave her another one of those looks. The guilt only intensified. "I'm perfectly okay to drive you, you know," her mother stated. She almost sounded hurt. "Your brother is old enough to be left alone for ten minutes with Grandpa."

As if on cue, Grandpa snored and snuffled from his spot in his chair.

"Oh, I know." Kagome nodded, forcing every ounce of sincerity into her facial expression and voice. "She just suggested it and I thought it'd be okay. If you rather drive me though…"

Her mother sighed and shook her head. "No, it's fine. Let me know when you want me to pick you up."

 _Crap_. Another issue. Kagome bit her lip and determined that would just have to be something she solved later. For now, she needed to time everything perfectly.

Her cell phone vibrated in her jean pocket. Kagome didn't have to read it to know what the message said. All she needed was the right moment. It should come shortly, as long as her mother was as on time as she always was. It was an agonizing six minutes. Her phone vibrated twice more and Kagome spared a second to check the messages.

 _Here._

 _HERE._

As if using capitalization lock was going to make her faster. Kagome rolled her eyes but startled when her mother stood up, heading into the kitchen to prep her grandfather's coffee for the next morning. She always did it the night before, exactly at 7:00 p.m. Waiting a few minutes more, until her mother was right in the thick of preparation, Kagome swooped in and kissed her on the cheek. "Ayumi's mom is here!" she said excitedly, already backing off towards the front door and grabbing her backpack. "I'll see you tonight!"

"No later than 11!" her mother called after her.

"Okay!" Kagome paused only a second to add, "Love you!" before she left, shutting the door firmly behind her. It was already getting dark, the sun setting behind the trees of the forest. She headed towards it, just stepping off of the porch when the shadows moved.

"You're late."

Nearly jumping, Kagome whipped around and glared. Her heart was racing and it was all his fault. "I thought you were waiting in the forest."

"Yeah, until you took forever." Inuyasha rolled his eyes and started to crouch. Kagome took the invitation as it was, climbing on even as he continued to speak. "How hard is it to leave your house?"

"Harder than you think," Kagome pointed out. "I can't tell her I'm going to Sango's house again!"

"Why not?"

Kagome sighed. "Because it would be suspicious. I didn't know any of you until two weeks ago!"

"It's been longer than that," Inuyasha muttered, sounding almost irritated by it. Of course he would be. The half-demon hadn't been pleased with her being around since the very beginning.

"It's still suspicious," Kagome reminded him. She bit down on a squeal when the half-demon suddenly leapt into the air, the trees flying past them as they headed towards the sky. Her grip around his neck tightened and she could only hope that he wouldn't let her go. Oh god, if he let her go she would definitely be dead. Survived a giant, freaking centipede and died at the hands of her so-called saviour.

"Calm down," Inuyasha snapped. "I'm not going to drop you."

Had she been gripping him that tightly? Kagome took a deep breath and tried to relax, but it was pretty hard when they were now on the ground, running so fast the world around them blurred. The run itself hadn't taken that long; it probably took half the time that driving in a car did. By the end, Kagome had her head ducked down into his shoulder, ignoring the way everything zoomed by and focusing instead on the feel of the breeze. It was easier that way. Eventually, her breathing slowed back down.

"We're here," Inuyasha announced, voice almost quiet.

Kagome popped her head up, almost groggy. "Oh, good." Climbing down, she gave the half-demon a look. "You've never jumped like that before."

Inuyasha shrugged. "Forgot."

He wasn't looking at her; Kagome couldn't help but feel like he was almost uncomfortable. Apologetic, maybe? Shaking her head, she realized how ridiculous that sounded. She barely knew Inuyasha. Assuming she could even get close to reading his facial expressions was crazy. Maybe eventually, but this soon? Not a chance.

She didn't say anything further but followed the half-demon inside of the house. Sango and Miroku were in the kitchen, guns laid out on the table and both of them dressed in black, tight-fitting athletic wear. "Hey."

"Welcome back," Miroku said, giving her a quick salute. "Ready for your first demon hunt?"

"What even happened?" Kagome asked. "I saw the news. Are you saying those women were demons?"

"Controlled by one," Inuyasha clarified, taking a seat at the table.

"How?"

Sango finished snapping a fresh clip into her gun before answering. "Inuyasha was patrolling last night when something caught his attention. He went to the house to see what was going on and it was the wife, floating in midair. She killed her husband with a knife."

"She seemed out of it," Inuyasha added. "Her arms were at her sides like she was hanging from a cross or something. They had been fighting before so there was a lot of yelling. I think one of the neighbours heard and called the cops. When the sirens came, the woman collapsed."

Kagome took the information in, frowning. "Was she awake?"

"I couldn't tell." Inuyasha shook his head. "I had to get out of there."

"You said there was a smell," Miroku mused, brow furrowed. "What do you think that was about?"

Kagome watched as the half-demon's nose wrinkled, like the thought of it was throwing him off. "It was weird," he answered vaguely.

"What did it smell like?" she pressed.

"I don't know." Inuyasha looked unhappy even admitting it. "Musky. Not a bad smell but it definitely had a scent to it. It was really strong at the house."

"We need to go and investigate," Sango stated, tone inviting no nonsense. "See if there are any clues that can tell us what we're up against."

"I didn't see anything," Inuyasha explained. "Other than the smell, nothing was out of the usual."

"Which is strange by itself. If that woman was being controlled by a demon then it had to have been nearby." Miroku organized the guns on the table before sitting down himself. "When will the cops be gone?"

"Soon, probably," Inuyasha said. "They were packing up before I picked up Kagome."

"We can head over and check it out then." Sango stood up and holstered two of the weapons. "Worst case, we wait in the forest for a bit."

With Miroku taking the last of the available guns, Kagome gave them all a confused look. "Should I not have anything?"

"Go and change," Sango suggested. "You still need to work on your shooting so I'll grab a bow for now. Not exactly conspicuous but better to be safe."

It took less than ten minutes for them to be situated and ready. The sleek black ATVs purred to life and Kagome got on the back of Sango's just as they were about to head out. They took the familiar forest trail they had been on before and Kagome tried to take note of everything they did as they travelled. Inuyasha was high up in the trees, jumping from one to the other while Miroku rode behind them, on alert. Eventually, the forest trail veered back around while they continued straight, keeping closer to the treeline and the subdivision beyond.

Slowing the vehicle down, Sango parked it behind a think patch of trees before shutting it off. Miroku arrived shortly after, removing the key and giving her an unreadable look with his blue eyes. Sango nodded.

Kagome wished for a brief moment that she could ever be in tune with someone like that, the way Miroku and Sango clearly were. This was nurtured out of practice and years of being in each other's space. Whether they were actually in love wasn't the point.

Inuyasha practically fell out of the sky, landing in a crouch just before them. "Cops are gone."

"Good," Sango stated, getting off. "Let's go. In and out, quiet."

Kagome followed behind them all, moving as silently as she could through the under bush. Her bow was tight in her hand, all arrows in the quiver. There wasn't any sense of danger but all of them moved as silently as the dead, barely a whisper louder than the wind. Sango put up her hand as Inuyasha continued, climbing on top of the fence and scouting before waving them forward.

"Here," Sango whispered to Miroku, handing him a pair of gloves. She turned back to look at Kagome for a moment. "You probably don't want them with the bow." When Kagome shook her head, Sango nodded in response. "Then touch _nothing_."

Inuyasha was already back, crouched on his knees by the fence. The fence was taller than average, almost six feet. The half-demon interlaced his fingers and without hesitation Sango bounded over, using his hands as a stepping stool to grip the top of the fence and swing her body to the other side. Miroku followed right after and Kagome, hesitating for only a second, readjusted her grip on the bow.

"Hurry up," Inuyasha hissed, golden eyes glaring.

Kagome rolled her eyes before taking off, surprised by the amount of lift he was able to give her as she clutched the fence with one hand. She almost fell, bow nearly leaving her hand before she managed to stay balanced and crawled over. Inuyasha had already made the jump, silver hair flying with the late-night wind as he ran towards the house. Kagome barely heard his whisper of " _this way_ ," following them all as they edged around the house towards the front.

There was a door on the back of what looked like the house's garage. The doorknob had a locking mechanism in it and Sango instantly sank down to her knees, producing a sleek black kit from her belt. Lock picks. Kagome pressed herself against the brick of the building, watching as the magenta-eyed girl managed to break open the door with little fuss. Then, they were all inside.

"Watch, there are wire bundles everywhere," Miroku whispered, wedging himself between a covered car and some lawn equipment. "Do we know if we can get into the house?"

"We'll have to pick the lock," Inuyasha answered.

Sango immediately went to the other door on the far side, the lock pick kit in her hand. Kagome looked around the garage as best as she could with what little light they had. With the moon waning, it was getting harder and harder to see at night. Miroku produced a tiny flashlight to help Sango see. It took a few minutes longer than the outside door but eventually they were able to move inside. The house was eerily silent. It shouldn't have made a difference really; the house was quiet in the night like many other homes in the area. What was worse though was the fact that she knew without a doubt someone had died in there.

"Do you smell it?" Miroku questioned, looking askance at the half-demon.

Inuyasha grimaced. "Kind of but it's really weak."

Kagome stayed true to her word, following the others deeper into the house while touching nothing. They were headed towards where it happened but she looked into the other rooms, wondering if something there could unlock why a demon chose this particular couple. Detective work was a lot harder than they made it look in the television shows though. Everything was practically spotless. There were a few knickknacks lying around and a couple pieces of clothing on the floor in the bedroom, but otherwise everything was organized. Even the bathroom was tidy. Kagome couldn't go three days without having to clean everything up.

"I was looking through that window there," Inuyasha stated, gesturing to a window now covered over with crime scene tape. "It was open so I think that's why I could hear everything a bit better. I heard them fighting once I got towards the fence."

"Was the smell coming from the inside?" Sango asked, taking a look around. Kagome followed her lead, looking at the pictures on the shelving unit by the TV. It was worse, looking at them. One of the photos was from their wedding, the husband smiling hugely while the bride practically shined with her bright red hair and glittering dress.

Inuyasha made a grunting sound that she couldn't parse out. "It was just everywhere."

Avoiding the blood-stained area of the carpet, Kagome walked in a circle around the living room, taking everything in. Eventually though, she had to look at the ground, at the dark red stain that took over a massive section by the couch. That was blood. That was _someone's blood_. It almost made her sick. Kagome took a deep breath, shifted her eyes towards the couch. She noticed long dark strands so she took a few steps closer, narrowing her gaze. It looked like hair.

"I don't see anything that she could've been hanging off of," Miroku stated, humming. "If a demon was controlling her then she could be floating, but you said her arms were held out."

"Like she was on a cross and then when she collapsed she crumpled completely." Inuyasha went back towards the window and Kagome only noticed because she was headed that way too, noticing more and more of the dark strands in the carpet. Why was there so much? "What are you looking at?" the half-demon asked suddenly, shaking Kagome from her thoughts.

She glanced up at him, debating what to say. Hair was _weird_ but was it _demonic weird_? She couldn't hold his gaze for long, the intensity of those golden irises too much. His expression was so indifferent, like she could disappear and it wouldn't even matter. And the other day, when he had been training her… The irritation built up from the memory alone and Kagome had to focus on something else to ignore it, to push it aside. The window he was standing beside was easy enough to look out of but the view wasn't what drew her attention.

It was all the hair, thin dark strands peeking out from underneath. Like the strands were half-outside and half-inside and when the cops closed the window everything got trapped.

"Seriously," Inuyasha pressed, his voice rough and annoyed. "What are you looking at?"

"Isn't it weird how much hair is in here?" Kagome asked. "I mean, it's all over the couch and the carpet and even this window. This is where you were standing, right?"

The half-demon frowned at her. "What hair?"

"The hair," Kagome repeated, grabbing some from the ground and ignoring the tiny voice in the back of her head that was supremely grossed out. She held it in front of his face. "See? It's in clumps, like it was cut almost. And wait, actually, do you remember the hair colour of the woman?" Inuyasha was staring at her like she was crazy. Kagome could feel that irritation again, growing with every second that passed that he didn't seem to understand. "What hair colour did she have?"

"Red," he replied.

"Like her pictures," Kagome continued, nodding. "But this is _black_. And long, without any red dye. It's not hers."

Sango and Miroku approached, standing to her left side and staring down at her hand. "Kagome," Miroku said slowly, blue eyes catching her gaze. "There's nothing there."

At first, she opened her mouth to argue. Her logic was completely sound. Red hair on the female victim but black hair all over the house? That had to be some sort of clue, even if all it meant was that the husband was cheating. But she took in all of their expressions, the way they seemed worried. "Oh," Kagome murmured. She, too, looked down at her hand, at the long black strands. "You can't see it? Really?"

"You mean there's something there?" Sango asked.

"Hair," Inuyasha mused, tilting his head. "She said it's everywhere."

"Then how come we can't see it?" Miroku asked, frowning.

Sango didn't look happy. There was a scowl on her face as she produced a tiny clear bag from the same belt that produced the lock pick kit. "Here, put it in here. Mushin should know what to do."

"The guy you live with?" Kagome asked, surprised. "Was he a slayer too?"

"More like an advisor of sorts," Miroku answered, shaking his head. "He didn't fight so much as do damage control. He knows a lot though: demonic history, ways to trap them, different kinds of demons. Just things he's seen over the years."

"If you can see something though that we can't, there has to be a reason for it," Sango continued. "Maybe because you're so new to the idea of demons? Something about innocence?"

Inuyasha snorted but didn't say anything more.

"Is this it?" Kagome asked, holding her hand closer to his face. "Is this the smell?"

For a second, the half-demon looked horrified, his face inching away as she grew closer. She persisted though, waiting him out until Inuyasha leaned closer and took a distinct sniff. He grimaced immediately.

"Well?" Kagome pressed, raising her eyebrows.

"Yeah," Inuyasha admitted, looking unhappy to be doing so. "Duller though."

"I told you there's something here," Kagome blurted out, unable to stop herself. The irritation crashed into something like smug satisfaction instead. She couldn't hold onto it for very long though because once she had the hair in the clear bag, they started to head back towards the garage to escape.

"And you said the hair was all over the living room?" Sango asked.

Kagome nodded, even though the other girl couldn't see her. "Yeah. It almost looked like it came from the window. You said it was open, right?" she asked, directing the question towards the half-demon. When he did nothing but glare at her, she took it for an affirmative. She was pretty sure he said so earlier anyways. "Maybe that's where it came from."

"What if it was hair that was controlling her?" Miroku asked.

"She would've been like a puppet," Sango agreed, nodding. "It's worth asking Mushin about. Some sort of hair demon?"

Outside, it was a lot darker than before. The three of them waited while Inuyasha confirmed the coast was clear before heading out and making a run for the fence on the far side. The half-demon helped them up again, boosting them over and making sure they made it into the forest without trouble. As they ran, Kagome watched the way his tiny ears were constantly twitching, shifting this way and that to listen to every possible sound. How well could he hear? She had her suspicions and Inuyasha had basically said it was far superior to that of a human's. But _how_ superior?

Kagome remembered the way he looked at her when she was having an anxiety attack in the kitchen, how he got there first. She remembered the way he yelled at her when she was starting to spiral, sitting on the ATV on one of her first days in the forest.

If he could hear her heartbeat…

The rumble of the ATVs was almost loud considering how quiet they had been. They took off deeper into the forest, Inuyasha running further ahead until Kagome couldn't even see him anymore. Miroku was slightly before them, his tires kicking up dirt and leaves. The trail grew more familiar and Miroku was pointing to the right, moving his vehicle in that direction with Sango following suit.

Once they were back at the house, maybe they could get some answers. Kagome had no idea why only she could see the hair but not the rest of them. It didn't make any–

It happened in the blink of an eye. One second, she was on the ATV and the next, pain was screaming through her gut and head as she rolled over and over on the forest floor. The motor of an ATV – theirs, Miroku's? – roared louder and Kagome scrambled to get up, desperately looking around for her bow that she dropped. The moment her eyes found it, she saw something else.

It was huge. Massive. Its fur was thick and black, its chest almost plated with dark brown armour. Dangerous looking fangs flashed from its teeth and its eyes–

Red.

Sango was already standing up, a gun in her hand. She looked frustrated though and Kagome realized that a gun was useless on what was supposed to be a spirit. They needed Miroku to put it to rest. That was the plan, right?

Only, finding the bear demon hadn't been part of tonight's plan. This was just a complete disaster.

The bear demon roared, giant paws storming into the dirt as it lunged for Sango. She fired off two shots before swearing and turning, ducking behind a tree for cover and then continuing to move. Kagome grabbed her bow and pulled out an arrow, hesitating but if a gun didn't work, an arrow wouldn't do anything at all.

"Inuyasha!" she screamed, heading towards the ATV. If she could get it turned back over, she could get to Sango and–

A huge tree branch flung just outside of her vision, close enough that she felt the air whoosh by as it crashed into the ATV. It sat there on an angle but covering enough of the vehicle that Kagome didn't think she could get it off. Not without help.

She turned around, seeing Sango getting closer and closer to the demon. He was catching up, snarls rabid as he lunged. It missed her but only by inches. Kagome had to do _something_. Running towards them made every single alarm in her mind scream out. It felt like the wrong thing to do, felt like death was making a call for her. But Sango was in trouble and Miroku was now in the middle of it, using his ATV and trying to distract the demon so Sango could get some room.

They needed Inuyasha.

Just as silver hair flew overhead, Kagome heard a scream. Miroku was flying through the air, his ATV on its side and Kagome could do nothing but watch as he smashed into the trunk of a tree. He fell like a limp ragdoll to the ground, unmoving.

"Miroku!" Kagome yelled, hearing Sango echoing the same word. She ran towards him, praying with every single step. He had to be alive. He had to be alive. He _had to_.

 _But_ , her mind tossed in, _he hadn't done anything to stop the demon_. Which meant he didn't have whatever he needed to put the bear demon to rest. They were in the middle of the forest, completely unprepared for an attack because they had been so focused on the murder, on the new demon that was stalking Sakura.

She heard growls and curses, Inuyasha's anger clear and defiant against the bear demon's roars. A part of her needed to know what was going on but the other part was focused on Miroku, on falling to her knees and checking his pulse. At first, she felt absolutely nothing. Her hands were shaking so badly it was hard to even tell. She took two deep breaths and pressed a little harder, closing her eyes and trying to _feel_.

There was a pulse. There was.

Miroku was alive.

Any relief she felt was short-lived as another scream pierced the air. Sango was on the ground, the bear demon lunging for her. Kagome yelled out in desperation, too far away to do anything but nock an arrow. It was still too slow though and by the time the bear demon was in her sights, Inuyasha had collapsed on top of Sango, taking a massive swipe of claws to his back. His shirt was torn, blood flying everywhere and the bear demon roared out once more as it rose to its hind legs.

Kagome didn't think. She didn't remember in that moment that her arrows would do nothing to stop the bear demon's attack. He was a restless spirit, not an actual demon. She couldn't hit it. Her arrow would fly through without damage.

She took the shot anyways.

The bear demon's giant paw was in the air, moments away from attacking downwards when her arrow embedded itself in his side. For a second, there was stillness. The bear demon paused, its roar going silent.

And then like her arrow had been on some kind of detonator, everything exploded in pink light. One second the bear demon was poised to attack and rip Inuyasha to shreds.

The next, it was gone.

The forest was silent.

"What the _fuck_ ," Kagome shrieked, dropping her bow and staring at the space the demon had once been. Hadn't it only been a spirit? How the hell had she even pierced it? What kind of arrows did Sango _give her_?

"Kagome! Kagome!" All of a sudden, she was at her side, a shaking hand touching her hair. "Come on, we need to go," Sango urged, grabbing at her arms. "Let's go."

How was Sango so level-headed? She was the one being attacked in the first place!

"Kagome, come on," she snapped, louder. "We need to get Miroku and Inuyasha back now."

At the mention of their names, Kagome started to nod. She needed to take care of them, get them to safety. They needed medical attention. "Yes, yeah, you're right. Okay."

It took the both of them to push off the massive tree branch that was on top of Sango's ATV. When they managed to get the machine upright, they moved on to the other one. When both were running, Kagome drove the ATV closer to Miroku so that they could drag his body onto the seat. He was balanced precariously but Kagome figured if she drove carefully, it would be okay.

"You take Inuyasha back," Sango ordered instead, shaking her head. "I've driven the ATVs more so I can focus on him at the same time. Inuyasha just needs someone to remind him to not pass out."

Running to the other ATV, Kagome brought it over to the half-demon, who was lying on the dirt floor still and breathing heavily into the ground. "What can I do?" she asked, climbing down to see if he needed a hand. His entire back was nothing more than a canvas of blood. Only three claw marks remained, his body slowly healing. It didn't make her feel any less nauseous. "Inuyasha?"

" _Fuck_ ," he spat, his hands digging into the earth. "Fucking bear demons."

"Come on," she tried to coax, bending down. Inuyasha got onto his hands and knees, his breaths still heavy. "Let's take you home."

Inuyasha growled and Kagome swore she saw his fangs elongate. It had to be a trick of the slim pieces of moonlight. When his eyes met hers, they were nothing but gold.

"Inuyasha," she murmured, "let's go."

When he growled again, it was short-lived. The silver-haired boy stood up and got onto the ATV, leaning forward to avoid the backrest. Kagome drove the vehicle as carefully as she could while keeping up with Sango, wincing every time she hit a bump that she didn't spot in the darkness. With the trees and the nighttime sky, it was getting harder and harder to see.

The outside lights of the house were almost a blessing.

Inuyasha hopped off before she even parked in the garage. He clambered over to the other ATV and picked up Miroku bridal-style, carrying him as if he weighed nothing. Kagome's mind flashed to when he practically lifted the car into the forest, the strength that his lean frame clearly held. Sango was opening the doors and leading them inside. She yelled for Mushin the second the door shut, shouting for help.

"I'll grab the med kit," Kagome exclaimed, recalling that there had been one in the bathroom Inuyasha took her to after the crow demon incident. It wasn't too hard to find and she quickly grabbed it and brought it into the living room where they had Miroku lying on the couch. He was still out of it. "Should we call 911?"

"We can't bring any authorities here," Sango said, shaking her head. "And I don't think Inuyasha's in any condition to drive."

"I can do it," he hissed, his elbows on his knees as he leaned forward. "You'll just have to take him inside."

"You got clawed practically in half by a bear demon," Sango retorted angrily, magenta eyes blazing. "You're not going to move. Mushin can drive."

"Fuck no." It was mumbled, barely coherent and Kagome almost leaped when she recognized it was Miroku's groggy voice.

"Miroku," Sango exclaimed and the name sounded wet, like it was coming from a broken-off sob. Kagome ignored it, didn't look at the girl and gave her the moment she needed. Mushin ambled into the room, looking worried and asking what had happened.

"We went to investigate the murder," Inuyasha explained, eyes still on the floor from how he was leaning over. "We realized some messed up shit and then left to regroup here. Of course, of all the fucking times this bear demon could have shown up over the past few days it chose _tonight_. None of us were prepared. And then more freaky shit happened."

"We'll deal with the freaky shit later," Sango stated firmly. "We need to get him to the hospital. He was knocked out for a while."

Kagome tried her best to ignore the fact that all the freaky shit had to do with her specifically. While Mushin and Sango spoke in low tones with Miroku, who was slowly sitting up on the couch, Kagome took over cleaning Inuyasha's cuts. The half-demon didn't make a sound. He didn't look at her. His eyes were firmly on the ground, stuck in the same position since they entered the room. By now, only one of the wounds was still open and sluggishly bleeding. Kagome forced him to remove his shirt and then started to clean the dried blood and dirt off of him. Putting on the antiseptic made her wince in sympathetic pain but the half-demon didn't even flinch.

"Almost done," she murmured quietly.

Inuyasha shook his head, long silver hair swinging. "I don't even know why you're doing this. I heal."

"Then you'll heal faster," Kagome replied without missing a beat. She honestly didn't know if that was true or not but she couldn't see Inuyasha's face to find out what he thought of that.

"Inuyasha," Sango called gently, distracting them both. "Can you help me get him to the car?"

Miroku was trying to brush her off but Sango was clearly having none of it. Together, she and Inuyasha helped him up and walked with him towards the garage. Kagome watched, unsure of what to do. The old man was close behind, keys in his hand. She followed him, feeling weird being left in the living room of a house she barely knew. By the time Mushin had his shoes on and was stepping out the door, Inuyasha and Sango came back in.

"Are you good?" she asked him.

Mushin nodded. "You'll have to direct me to the hospital."

"Keep an eye out," Sango ordered, her magenta gaze focused on Inuyasha. "Call me if anything happens. _Anything._ "

"Yeah, I know." Inuyasha rolled his eyes at her and then before Kagome could open her mouth to say anything, they left.

But Inuyasha was still there, ears twitching on top of his head. Like he was listening, almost. Kagome shook her head because he was definitely listening, there was no time left for denial.

Without a word, the half-demon strode past her down the hall. Kagome frowned and followed. "Why aren't you going with them?" she asked.

Inuyasha stopped to glare at her with everything that he had. It was impressive. "I don't exactly scream _human_." He rolled his eyes and sat down heavily on the couch. The TV was on before she knew it, volume just barely loud enough to understand the dialogue. It was some sitcom, something she hadn't seen before.

Kagome blinked. Was this…it?

"You can't leave the house?" she asked.

The half-demon didn't even spare her a glance. "I can."

That wasn't a real answer and not what she was going for at all. He probably knew that though. Slowly, Kagome took a few steps towards the couch and waited. Inuyasha didn't even glance in her direction. "Is your back okay?"

"Yeah."

This was driving her nuts. "Your best friend is being taken to the hospital after we were attacked by the ghost of a _bear demon_ right after we left the house we were investigating over some kind of _hair demon_ and you're _calm?_ "

Inuyasha growled but he still didn't look at her. "I have done this more times than I can count. They'll be back in a few hours; pacing across the goddamn house is going to do _shit all_. So _sit down._ "

"But I made a demon explode," Kagome whispered, terrified.

At that, the half-demon finally did glance her way, his golden eyes blazing with something she couldn't name. "Sit down before I make you."

It was a clear threat but she knew without _actually_ knowing him that it was all bluster. Kagome took a quick look at the digital clock on the television box and realized with some horror it wasn't even nine yet. She could go home early but that would look suspicious, wouldn't it? A quick look at Inuyasha reminded her that they were car-less and he was still sitting oddly on the couch, back touching nothing. He was still healing. Running her through the forest would be cruel.

Then again, running through the forest sounded like a nightmare in and of itself, considering what just happened.

Sighing, Kagome sat down on the opposite end of the couch, sitting as far away from the silver-haired teen as possible. He was grumbling something under his breath that she couldn't hear, eyes once again glued to the television. It took a few minutes, nothing but the TV making any kind of noise, but eventually she relaxed. She felt it first in her shoulders and then slowly the rest of the tension in her bled away. Miroku was going to the hospital and both Sango and Mushin were with him. They'd be okay and back hopefully soon. There was no imminent danger. Just a half-demon watching some sitcom with a straight face.

Slinking down so that her head could rest on the back cushion, she voiced the questions still dancing in her head. "What do you think happened tonight? With the bear demon?"

He shrugged. Didn't look at her. She was too tired to fight him on it. "We'll talk to Mushin about it when they get back. No point in worrying about it now."

"But that's not normal." The sentence came out on a long breath. She closed her eyes and inhaled.

"No."

Kagome didn't ask any more questions. She watched the show and let the easy storyline take over whatever was in her brain. Usually it wasn't so simple. Usually her brain wanted to fight. But somehow, someway, lying there was one of the easiest things she had done in a while.

* * *

The forest was quiet.

It seemed almost foreign, considering the nightmare it had been before. She clung to Inuyasha's back, his silver hair flying into her face with the wind. It was colder than she remembered it being earlier. The sky was pitch black, not a star in sight.

"Where is it?" Inuyasha asked. His voice was gravelly, rougher than usual. Kagome stared up at the sky and wondered where the moon was.

"Kagome," he snapped, a brutal bark of sound. Suddenly, her thighs were in screaming pain and she tried to shake it off but she couldn't. She couldn't because–

She was falling, hitting the dirt and feeling rough leaves under her palms. Her legs were bleeding and one look at Inuyasha towering over her showed the truth. His claws were dripping crimson.

"Where _is it_?" he growled again, louder, angrier.

"I don't–" She couldn't get the words out, fear clutching to every part of her body. She tried to swallow but a thick, cloying taste covered her throat. Was that blood?

"It's in you, girl," Inuyasha sneered. "And I _want it_."

His eyes flashed, blood-red and terrifying.

"It will be mi–"

Kagome jolted as her body shook, eyes flying open and a scream leaving her lips. She clutched at her surroundings, finding only soft material and not leaves or dirt or mud.

"Hey," Inuyasha said, face so close to hers that she instantly recoiled, pushing herself back into the couch. Because she was on a couch, not the forest floor. She was in a house. Sango's house. Looking around, Kagome remembered where she was. The television was still on, soft voices carrying from the screen. She didn't recognize the characters.

The clock read 10:29 p.m.

"Fuck," she whispered, desperately shutting her eyes and taking a deep breath. _Inhale_ , two, three, four. _Exhale_.

"You were having a nightmare." Inuyasha's voice was rough, but nowhere near the severity from her dream. Opening her eyes, she saw only gold and took yet another deep breath. It had only been a nightmare.

"Thanks," Kagome mumbled, feeling vaguely embarrassed. It had seemed so real at first.

Inuyasha grunted but stepped away, heading towards the kitchen. "Sango texted to say they were just waiting on his test results. Probably be back in the next hour or so."

"Is Miroku doing okay?"

"Bad headache, but otherwise nothing too bad," he called out. "Nauseous, I think."

Kagome bit her lip and looked back at the clock. Her mom wanted her home soon but there was so much happening. The fact that her arrow had exploded and forced the bear demon to disappear. Miroku potentially being really hurt if his tests came back positive. The hair demon and the fact that she was the only one that could see the clues. They hadn't even spoken to Mushin about what went down. If she went home, there was no way she'd be able to see them tomorrow. It would have to wait until school and even then, until lunchtime.

But then again, was staying even an option?

Getting off the couch, Kagome headed first towards the bathroom where her backpack sat from earlier. She took out her phone and stared at it, debating. She would have to talk to Inuyasha, then. There was no other way around it.

The kitchen was quiet but she spotted the half-demon leaning against the counter, staring up at the ceiling with a disgruntled look on his face. Kagome briefly wondered what he was thinking about before dismissing the thought, knowing that he'd never answer her even if she asked. "Hey so, this is going to be weird," she prefaced. Inuyasha raised a brow at her, silent and broody as always. "But my mom wants me home by eleven. And the thing is, we haven't talked to Mushin yet and there was so much stuff that happened that I don't understand…" She trailed off, not really getting to the point she wanted to. Helplessly, she looked at Inuyasha.

The golden-eyed boy blinked at her, ears twitching to the right towards the electric kettle on the counter. She could see the light on, water obviously still boiling.

Kagome had to simply come out with it. Her gut twisted in anticipation. "Can I stay? Over, I mean. I'll sleep on the couch but I just…really need answers."

Inuyasha shrugged. "Doesn't matter to me. I'm pretty sure Sango won't care. You can text her if you want."

Letting out a long breath, she tried to ignore how relieved she felt. It was almost a tidal wave, her whole body relaxing. "Okay," she said quietly. "Now I need to convince my mom."

Snorting, the half-demon shook his head. "Good luck."

"Thanks." Kagome unlocked her phone and dialled home. She wandered into the living room though if Inuyasha's hearing was as good as she thought, he'd probably hear anyways. Her mother picked up after a few rings, sounding the same as always. It hit her then, just how different everything was. There were demons out to kill her and Sango and Miroku and Inuyasha, demons that were out killing the people of Sakura, but her mom was at home like usual, probably reading and going on like nothing bad was out there. The thought made her feel ill.

"Hi sweetie," her mother said. "Everything okay?"

There was a lump in her throat. Things weren't even close to okay. Kagome swallowed hard and soldiered through. "Yeah," she replied, nodding even though she couldn't see. "Yeah, no definitely." She forced a smile to her face, trying to sound cheery. "Ayumi and I are having fun. We haven't hung out like this in a while. She's been having a weird time with all of the bad news." _The murders_.

"Poor thing," her mom murmured, sounding sympathetic. "I hope she knows she's safe though. It's tragic but they have the bad guys."

If only she knew.

"Yeah, she does. You know what Ayumi is like though." Kagome forced a little laugh, sitting back down on the living room couch to stop her pacing. "She cares so much about everything." Her mother hummed in agreement and Kagome figured it was now or never. Just like in the kitchen with Inuyasha, she had to blurt it out and hope for the best. "Actually, I'm calling because Ayumi asked if I could stay over. We haven't done that in a long time and we're having a lot of fun. We were going to watch a movie before bed." She crossed her fingers and closed her eyes. _Please let this work_. "Would that be okay with you? I'll be back before lunch."

She should have said breakfast. Why didn't she say breakfast?

There was a small pause but before her stomach could twist itself into more knots, her mom acquiesced. "Sure," she said warmly. "Will you be okay without pajamas and everything?"

"Yes." Kagome tried not to make it too obvious how happy she was. "I can borrow from Ayumi, she has tons of stuff."

"Alright, well don't stay up too late and I expect you for lunch tomorrow. Sota's got a game and you promised to come."

She did. Right. "Yeah, for sure. I'll message you when I'm on my way home. Thanks mom."

"Have a good night, sweetie. Love you."

Kagome smiled and ignored the little voice in her head that whispered over and over _lies, lies, lies_. "I love you, too. See you tomorrow." The moment she hung up, she clutched at her phone and stared dully at the still-playing TV. How long would she be able to keep this up?

"You staying?"

Jumping only slightly, Kagome stared up at Inuyasha who was holding a mug of tea on a saucer, bag still in. She could see the steam rising. "Yeah, as long as Sango's okay with it."

"Pretty sure she won't care." Inuyasha put the tea down on the table in front of her and returned to his spot on the other end of the couch. "She'll be too worried about Miroku to think of anything else."

Staring at the mug, Kagome noticed that it was a lot closer to her than it was to the half-demon. His attention had completely returned to the show, expression unreadable. Slowly she leaned forward to reach for it. If it was his, surely he'd say something, right? She picked it up and wrapped her hands around it, smelling the chamomile and feeling the warmth on her fingers.

"I hate tea."

Kagome frowned and looked over at him, startled. "What?"

Inuyasha shot her a glare and rolled his eyes. "I don't like tea. That's yours."

Oh. He had gone and made her something to relax, right after she had woken up from her nightmare. It was way more thoughtful than she ever expected from him, especially after everything. "Thank you," she whispered.

He grunted. "Don't mention it."

He probably meant it literally. Kagome smiled anyways.

* * *

Miroku, Sango and Mushin didn't actually arrive back to the house until a bit after midnight. All of his tests came back negative for damage or bleeding and so he'd been ordered to avoid screens, lights and to stay on bedrest. He'd have to miss the first few days of school, if not the first week depending on how quickly his head cleared.

Everyone had been so exhausted that staying up wasn't an option. Mushin looked like he was going to crash at any minute, stumbling down the stairs to his bedroom and mumbling about a bit of whiskey for his dreams. Sango had already agreed to Kagome staying over and gave her a strange look when Kagome offered to take the couch upon their arrival back home.

"I have a queen bed," Sango stated, shaking her head. "You can crash with me if you want. Just don't kick me or I'll punch you."

She borrowed yet another change of clothes, a massive baggy t-shirt and loose, faded shorts for bed. There was a spare toothbrush buried in the bathroom drawer and once they were all settled and Miroku was taken care of, Sango ushered her into her bedroom.

Kagome's eyes were so heavy that she barely took in anything about it. The walls were a dark pink, the furniture black, but other than that nothing stood out. She crawled in and buried herself under the duvet, relaxing instantly.

"That's my side," Sango mumbled, poking at her until she moaned and rolled over. "Please don't be a bed hog."

"No promises," she whispered back.

Sango snorted but that was the end of that. Kagome didn't even have a moment to think about how weird it all was, how quickly being in their house and spending time with them became almost natural. Kagome took one breath and then another, and then before she could contemplate anything else she drifted off.

There were no nightmares.

Waking up was a slow, heavy process. It took her a few minutes to recognize that the bed was too firm and she was incredibly warm. Opening her eyes, she blinked at the ceiling – smoothed out, not that crackle style her own house had – and remembered that she was at Sango's. She was in Sango's bed.

And Sango was half-lying on top of her.

Turning her head, she realized the girl's back was to her but she was leaning on her, a long line of warmth. Kagome couldn't help but stare. From her angle, she could barely even see her face but she wondered. This was a girl who had been so resistant in the beginning to her presence. But Kagome either wore her down or she must have said something… Done something? Whatever it was, things between them were good. Surprisingly good. Kagome would maybe even call her a friend.

Maybe.

At what point in life-or-death situations did you just naturally consider yourselves friends?

There was no possible way that Sango could read her mind but all of a sudden she rolled, moving to her own side and opening her eyes blearily. She groaned unhappily and buried her face in her pillow. "What time is it?"

Kagome had to sit up a little to find the clock on the nightstand. "A bit after nine." Sango mumbled even more, words that Kagome couldn't make out. "Not a morning person?"

"Not really," Sango answered, rolling onto her back to stare pitifully at the ceiling.

"Just go back to sleep."

Snorting, the magenta-eyed girl shook her head. "Inuyasha's probably already making breakfast."

That caught Kagome off-guard, something completely unexpected. "Really?"

For a brief moment, Sango was silent. It wasn't a difficult question, or rhetorical, so the girl was clearly thinking about something. "Yeah," she murmured softly. She sat up and yawned, scratching at her shoulder.

Getting ready was quiet. Other than the odd clink from the kitchen, there weren't any real sounds. Dressed back into the clothes she wore yesterday, she made her way into the kitchen. Sango was already there, hair tied up in a messy bun and glaring at the kitchen table. Inuyasha stood by the stove, fiddling with what looked like eggs. The polite part of her wanted to ask if there was anything she could do to help but the silence of the kitchen was so heavy she kept her mouth shut.

Mushin walked in at the end of a heavy sigh, looking tired. "I told Miroku to stay in his room and try to rest some more. I need all of you to make sure he doesn't overdo it."

Sango frowned. "What's he trying to do?"

"You know him," the old man grumbled, "trying to find out more information on demons and not resting his brain like he should be."

"I'll take his phone away," Sango replied.

Inuyasha hummed but Kagome couldn't understand what he meant by it. The half-demon spread out the eggs in the pan over three plates and then brought them over, placing everything in front of them. Cutlery was already on the table and it took a moment for Kagome to notice how normal and routine this all felt. This was a regular morning in their house. It was so domestic.

They ate in silence. Kagome spared a moment between bites to thank Inuyasha for breakfast, telling him that it was good. Inuyasha simply stared at her like the compliment was actually an insult before shrugging and mumbling a thanks. It was almost shocking to think that just last night he had made tea for her because she had had a nightmare.

Mushin eventually sat down at the table, a big mug in his hands and steam wafting upwards. He eyed them all wearily before blowing out a loud breath. "Sango filled me in on what happened last night. I'd like to ask for your perspectives."

All of a sudden, the eggs didn't feel so good in her stomach. Kagome looked down at her plate and forced herself to swallow. This was what she wanted, she tried to remind herself. She needed answers, no matter what they were. "What do you want to know?" she asked, voice practically a whisper.

"Let's start with the hair you saw." Mushin's dark gaze was sharp, even though the rest of his features were not. "You said it was all over the house?"

Kagome nodded. "Yeah. At first, I thought it was really weird. The other rooms had been so clean and tidy and then the living room was covered in it. Hair, I mean. And I saw her wedding pictures on the mantle, so I knew she had red hair; what was in that room was black and long. Nothing like hers. Then I saw a bunch of it stuck in the windowsill which seemed really weird. But when I tried to show Inuyasha, he looked at me like I was insane." Not that that wasn't unusual.

"And you touched it?" Mushin pressed.

"Yeah, picked it up and everything. Wait!" She looked over at Sango questioningly. "Where's that pouch of yours? We had it in a bag."

"Shit, I forgot." Sango stood up and ran out of the room, presumably to get it.

Mushin only hummed. "Inuyasha?"

The half-demon frowned. "Yeah?"

"What's your take on all this?"

"She was right. I thought she was insane." Inuyasha rolled his eyes. "I don't know what you want from me. I didn't see shit."

"But you smelled it," Kagome added. She leaned towards him, hand going out to touch him. What a bad idea, she realized, and stopped immediately. Her hand fell flat on the table.

If Inuyasha noticed, he didn't give anything away. "The scent I smelled in the forest, what drew me to the house in the first place, was still in the house but weaker. When you held up your hand, it was more potent."

Mushin looked between both of them and Kagome desperately wanted to know what he was thinking. His face gave nothing away. Sango returned before she could ask and Mushin stared at the clear baggy for a long moment before opening it up. He reached inside. "Have you tried to touch it?" he asked Sango.

The girl shook her head. "I was going to examine it more at the house but we were attacked."

The old man nodded, closed the bag up, and then turned his gaze back to the half-demon. "And what happened with the bear demon?"

At that, Inuyasha seemed to shut down. Kagome couldn't believe how different it was. Had someone asked her before, Kagome probably would have responded that there wasn't really any expression on his face at all, but the moment Mushin asked, it was like it amplified. A blank canvas. "What part?" he asked. Kagome couldn't tell if he was upset or angry or scared. There was nothing to help spell it out.

"The fight," Mushin prodded. "He severely injured you."

"He saved my life," Sango cut in. "I would be dead if he hadn't taken the blow for me."

"How strong was it?"

Inuyasha looked almost pained to admit it. "Strong. Other than the lack of scent, I would have had a hard time guessing it was only its spirit."

Kagome still didn't understand how something that was supposed to be dead could cause so much bloodshed. There was still so much to the world that she needed to learn. "I had run over to Miroku," she said, if only to get the look off of his face. "After the bear demon threw him and he didn't get up, I tried to get there as soon as possible. He was breathing but things were getting worse."

"Why didn't you attack earlier?" Mushin questioned, not unkindly. It wasn't out of anger, but simple curiosity.

"I– I didn't really know what to do." Kagome swallowed past the lump in her throat, the fear. "Inuyasha was shielding Sango and I knew I'd only get in the way. If I got into the middle, there'd be no protection." At that, the half-demon jerked his head towards her, intense gaze practically boring a hole into her. And she hadn't meant it like that, not the way it sounded. She completely understood why Inuyasha had said what he did, those weeks ago. She was a stranger and Sango was the one in need of saving. Kagome had to stay out of the way; she wasn't a fighter. "Not like–" Kagome cut herself off and met his gaze. "Not like that. I just meant that I knew I couldn't help. You guys made it clear that I wouldn't be able to do anything against the bear demon."

"And yet, you still fired a shot." Mushin raised his eyebrows, big and bushy.

"I couldn't let them die," Kagome countered, drawing her attention away from the half-demon. "I knew I couldn't hurt it, but maybe I could distract it. It worked with the centipede demon."

Sango looked at her incredulously, eyebrows mimicking that of her guardian. She seemed surprised.

"What did you do?" Mushin pressed.

Kagome could tell he was only trying to find answers, but she didn't have anything to say, nothing that could help. "I just nocked an arrow, aimed and fired. Same as I always do."

"You didn't say anything?"

"No."

"Pray?"

"No."

"What were you thinking?"

The question seemed odd. What would her thoughts have to do with anything? "I don't…" Nothing stood out. It had been a moment of do-or-die. Inuyasha and Sango had been trapped and the bear demon had been about to kill them. "I don't think I thought anything," she replied honestly, wincing. "I just did it."

"I didn't really see it," Sango added. "But one second, the bear demon was there and the next, there was this massive pink light. It was like a bomb went off."

"Inuyasha, what did you see?"

Shrugging, the silver-haired teen didn't make eye contact with anyone. "I saw the arrow embed itself in the demon. Then pink light."

Mushin was quiet, but only for a second. He touched his chin, pondering. "What did you feel?"

"Like my spine had been severed."

The old man glared at him. Kagome couldn't for the life of her understand how an answer like that couldn't be excused. He had almost _died_. "No," he argued firmly, "what did you _feel_?"

She didn't understand the difference between the questions. There was inflection, sure. But nothing else stood out as to give Inuyasha any reason to answer differently. But there _was_. There was a difference. Kagome didn't know Inuyasha well but she could tell, near instantly, that something changed. He still didn't speak though.

Mushin stared him down. Kagome blinked and turned to Sango, hoping for some kind of explanation. None was given because Sango seemed as confused as she was. Her magenta eyes narrowed and her expression remained unsure.

"I don't know," Inuyasha replied eventually but Mushin only levelled an unimpressed glare at him. Growling, the boy stood up from the table, hands slamming down. "I don't– I've never felt anything like it before."

"But it wasn't good, was it?"

Inuyasha shook his head once, so sharply his hair whipped around his shoulders. Kagome's eyes widened in alarm because 'wasn't good' meant what she did was _bad_. That pink light was a problem, somehow. Before she could ask though, Inuyasha left the room and Sango threw her arms up in question.

"What do you mean it wasn't good?" she asked, incredulous. "She made the bear demon vanish entirely."

Mushin was shaking his head before she could even finish. "It wasn't good for _him_ because unlike you, he has demonic heritage. That changes everything. Here, come with me."

Kagome still didn't understand, not really, so following the old man wasn't even really a choice. They left the kitchen and headed downstairs. He made them wait in the small living area while he stepped inside. Sango turned to her, expression concerned. "You okay?"

"I guess?" She honestly didn't know how to feel. "I mean, it depends on what Mushin says. Inuyasha didn't look too happy though."

"He'll live," Sango replied, rolling her eyes. "He's not exactly a fan of explaining himself, especially when it comes to his demonic side. It has to be hard, knowing what his father did to his mother. Only one way to have a child."

That hadn't even crossed her mind. Kagome knew that her expression showed nothing but horror, but before she could say anything more Mushin walked back in, four books stacked in his arms. He dropped them on a nearby table and opened the top one, flipping through.

"Based on what you've told me, I think that Kagome is a priestess."

"What?" Sango asked, shocked.

Kagome _still_ didn't understand. "What does that even mean?"

"It means you were born for this," Sango answered, frowning.

" _Now_ ," Mushin corrected, shaking his head. "Back when demons roamed the earth freely, demon slaying wasn't a part of priestess duties. They were healers, leaders of their villages. They cared for their people and land. There were select few, however, who had extraordinary powers. These priestesses were protectors." He turned the book towards her and there on the left page was the image of a woman holding something pink and round in her hand. "Their powers cleansed evil, _purified_ it through their will. That's what you did, when you shot the arrow into the bear demon. You erased it completely."

She heard the words but none of it was really processing. She was a priestess? She had…powers? "I don't believe this," she whispered. Kagome stared at the sketch of the woman, her sombre expression.

"Believe it or not, it happened." Mushin spared her an apologetic glance and she couldn't fault him for this, not when he was trying to help. "Inuyasha's account proves it. When your will destroyed the demon, he felt it. His demonic side rebelled against it because energy so pure fights against a demon's chaotic nature."

"I could kill him?" Kagome asked, terrified.

"I– No, I don't think so." Mushin shrugged, dark eyes unclear. "He is half-human and lives amongst humans. He isn't evil and your powers are meant to purify evil. It would be hard to say if you two fought against each other, what would happen exactly."

"What is this?" Sango asked suddenly, drawing their attention back to the book. She was pointing at the rounded jewel in the priestess' palm. "I've seen an image of it before."

The old man nodded. "I wouldn't be surprised. That is the Jewel of Four Souls, otherwise known as the Sacred Jewel. It is told that the Jewel was created from the body of the most powerful priestess who ever lived. This object allows those who hold it immense power. Many demons over the centuries have wanted it. Very few demons can truly sense it. You, Kagome, should be able to sense it yourself. But all demons, regardless of whether they're consciously aware, will move towards the jewel in due time. Chaos craves power. It always has."

"Would Kagome's powers also drive demons to come here?" Sango asked. "I mean, my parents had always said Sakura was a relatively quiet place until they moved. We would've been born not much later and my family has always said demonic attacks have been growing in this town. Are they drawn to her?"

For a long moment, the old man stared at Kagome with an unreadable expression. He seemed to be contemplating something, looking for some kind of secret. Eventually though, he shook his head. "No," he responded quietly, "I don't believe so. Her powers are the opposite of what demons crave. The Sacred Jewel, however. This is something they would come for." He tapped the image of it again. "Kagome, have you ever seen this before?"

"Not at all," she replied truthfully. She looked for a moment longer at the priestess in the book, at the woman's solemn look and the ways she so delicately held the tiny pink object.

"You, of all people, would know," Mushin stated. "The Jewel would call to you. If your powers are as I believe them to be, the Jewel of Four Souls would demand your protection. You would know it the moment you laid eyes on it."

It was hard to believe. Kagome wasn't sure what to do with all of the information. "Can I borrow these?"

Mushin nodded and handed her two of the books. "These would probably be best to start with."

Clutching them to her chest, Kagome followed Sango and the old man back up. Sango kept throwing her glances but even those she couldn't interpret. Maybe it was just her mind thrown for such a loop – everything seemed so foreign all of a sudden. The world was different.

She had powers.

Apparently.

As they topped the stairs, Kagome desperately felt the need to go home. It was the opposite of what she had wanted last night but now–

Home. She needed to go home.

"I'm going to go find Inuyasha," Kagome told Sango. She watched as Mushin made his way back towards Miroku's bedroom.

"I'm sure Mushin will drive you," Sango said.

"It's okay." Miroku's bedroom door was only open a crack, no light coming from it. She could only imagine what he was going through. That knock to the head had been serious and terrifying. Kagome had never seen someone go down so hard, so quickly. "I rather he focus on you guys. I'll see you in school on Monday, yeah?"

Sango nodded and followed her to the garage to say goodbye. Kagome felt only a little bit strange standing in the backyard all alone, the forest surrounding her and whispering against the wind. Like this, in the day, it didn't seem so scary. It didn't seem like a place where demons would hide and stake out their prey.

"Inuyasha!" she called out. Her voice didn't echo but the silence after was so heavy she almost wanted it to.

He must have heard her.

For a few minutes, there was nothing. No sound outside of the trees. No feeling of being watched. It was enough to make Kagome wonder if she should have had Mushin take her home after all. The half-demon had stormed out of the kitchen earlier, looking more unsettled than she'd ever seen before.

"What?"

The growly, snappish voice startled her. Kagome whirled around, hating the way her body jumped in shock. Inuyasha was glaring at her, arms crossed and golden eyes as intense as ever. The guy needed to take it all a few notches down. Not only that but– But how the hell had he gotten behind her? "Why would you do that?"

"Do what?"

The head tilt wasn't endearing. Kagome narrowed her eyes. "You intentionally scared me."

There. It was the barest hint of a twitch, the corner of his lip tilting upwards before decidedly resuming its default expression. "I don't know what you're talking about."

Rolling her eyes was the only response. It was that or fight with him, again. And after everything she had just learned, it was the last thing she wanted to do. Home was her goal. Home with her mom and brother and grandfather. Watching Sota's soccer game like a normal family. Maybe even doing some of the homework she was horribly falling behind on. "Can you take me home, please?"

"Fine," Inuyasha huffed. "But I'm not really in the mood to go slow."

"Oh what, like you've been going slow this entire time?" Kagome challenged. The guy was leaping from the tops of tree branches! There was no way.

The half-demon growled but still crouched down. Kagome got on his back and ignored the way the warmth of him crawled across her skin. He was like a furnace, burning up. Had he been running the entire time?

"Hold on," Inuyasha grounded out and before Kagome could come up with some quick response, he jumped into the air. It wasn't just a _jump_ , either. It was more like an epic leap, like his feet had been attached to springs and gravity no longer existed on earth. They flew into the air with such speed, with such _force_ , that it took Kagome's breath away. And not in a romantic sense either. It was _terrifying_.

And it didn't stop there.

He just moved. Kagome didn't even know how. Her stomach was lurching and for the first time ever, having him run her home felt about as unsafe as walking a tightrope. There was no net for safety. There was only an implicit promise – never spoken out loud – and Kagome had to trust that the silver-haired boy wouldn't let her go.

She closed her eyes part way through and buried her face into the back of his neck, hoping to whatever was out there that the ride would end soon.

Stopping felt like being slammed into a wall. Her whole body felt the jolt and Kagome couldn't help the squeak she let out, her legs slipping the tiniest bit and making her panic. It wasn't until the black-haired girl realized they were no longer moving, and that she was safe, that she lifted her head to risk a glance.

And there it was: home.

"Thank god," she breathed.

The half-demon underneath her shivered and then, unceremoniously, she was dumped to the ground.

"Hey!" Kagome shouted, staggering to keep herself from completely collapsing into the dirt. "That was rude!"

"I'm not some taxi driver you get to use whenever it's most convenient," Inuyasha retorted. There wasn't any heat behind the words but he wasn't looking at her. It was polar-opposite to just minutes before, back at the house.

"Sorry," she murmured, even though it wasn't what she wanted to say. It didn't seem to be the real problem, the real reason Inuyasha was lashing out, but what else could she do? "I don't really…" She trailed off, shrugging.

"Yeah," Inuyasha sighed, the sound of the defeated. He, too, shrugged. "Whatever."

He had only become like this when Mushin pushed him, earlier at breakfast. Now that Kagome had all the answers, she could put two and two together. It didn't…make her feel any better. If anything, it made her feel worse. "You know, don't you?" she asked quietly.

Inuyasha didn't say anything, just stared stubbornly at her house.

Considering she had wanted so desperately to get home earlier, it was strange now how she was holding herself back. Kagome watched the silver-haired teen with apprehension anyways. "Did you always know? What I was?" Maybe that was why he wouldn't touch her, back when he was trying to teach her hand-to-hand combat. Why when she was struggling to understand the move, and all she wanted was a better demonstration, he had done everything in his power to stay as far as possible.

She had been so mad but there had been a good reason after all. Kagome was– Kagome was bad for him. Dangerous to him, to his nature.

But what he said next stopped the thought in its track.

"No."

Kagome frowned. "No?"

"Didn't know," Inuyasha confirmed. For the barest second, he looked in her direction, like was checking for her expression.

"Oh." Then she didn't know what was what anymore.

"Go home, Kagome," Inuyasha murmured, not unkindly. He looked about as defeated as she felt because now, nothing made sense. Honestly, ever since the centipede demon attacked her in the woods those weeks ago, nothing had made sense.

It was all just–

Wrong.

When she walked away, Kagome didn't say bye. Even though she really wanted to.

* * *

 **Responses to Anon Reviewers:**

Guest: Thank you, thank you! I'm so glad you loved the chapter.

Mal: I stan Miroku and Sango, all the way. I adore them. I hope this story will do their relationship justice, in a totally different way XD Inuyasha has a lot of growing to do - but honestly. so do the rest of them. The next chapter already hurts so good. I was in pain writing it but gah, I'm so into the whole thing. I just love characters growing. Thank you so much darling!

ThatGirl: The scent thing is going to be a _thing_ for a while in this story. Buckle up, love. (And thank you!)

Kanne80: Why thank you :D Hope this chapter was worth the wait!

Guest: Why thank you :)

LadyDayDream: WOO. I'm all for obsession. I'm truly a bit obsessed over writing this story, so we can do it together. Ah! You read How to Kill Me? So sweet. Thank you dear! I hope you're liking this story just as much!

Wakai: Oh thank you! Hope you liked this chapter too :)

Flowerchild4119: AW thank you dear! That means so much! I hope this chapter was everything you dreamed of and MORE.

RedViolet11: I hope you don't mind me messaging you here, since your PMs are disabled :) I'm so glad you're liking it! There's going to be a while before the end, so hopefully you enjoy the whole ride. So much more to come!

* * *

 **Feedback is love. You guys blow me away.**


	6. Chapter 6

**Author's Note:** Hi everyone! Sorry for the delay - I was on an extended vacation out of the country, and while I really wanted to post before I left, things just didn't work out that way. However, I have a lot of the next chapter already written out so there shouldn't be that much time between posts. Enjoy!

* * *

 **That Flesh of Mine**

 **Chapter Six**

 _Sheltered, you better keep the wolf back from the door. It wanders ever closer every night. And how he waits begging for blood. I promised you everything would be fine._

 _(The Wolf, Mumford and Sons)_

* * *

The moment the click of her lock sounded, he ran.

She was a priestess. A goddamn, fucking priestess. A part of him was roaring inside, battling against the realization. It had never even crossed his mind and why would it? There was nothing to suggest such a thing. There was no evidence. She was some dumb girl that just happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. The centipede demon found her, attacked and Inuyasha saved the day. It was bad luck. Nothing more.

But it wasn't, was it?

Inuyasha dug his heels into the dirt, feeling a branch stab against the sole of his foot. The pain didn't even register. He breathed heavily, out of breath and _angry_. When the bear demon was about to kill him, about to slice him in half and then rip Sango into bits, Inuyasha hadn't prepared for what followed. One moment, he was bracing and the next… Light. So much light. Every inch of his body rebelled against it because there was a feeling in the air, stirring around like dust in sunlight. The feeling made his hackles rise. It made him want to retch and run and bury himself into the dirt.

Kagome was a priestess and because he was a half-demon, he could feel the effects of her power, her strength.

Inuyasha stared straight ahead at the burnt out shell of a house. It was almost entirely collapsed, barely more than rubble on the ground. He could even see inside through one of the gaping holes, nothing beyond but soot and ashes and things better left behind.

With a huff, the half-demon sat down in the grass. The sky above was dark, the moon almost completely gone. He could still see, could still remember. He stared at the house ahead of him and recalled all of the things he tried to forget. The garden out front. The mailbox that had once been pink. The old red couch with a stain on the left-hand side that came from god-only-knew where.

 _Her_.

It was too much. He closed his eyes and collapsed back into the grass. Coming here had been a stupid idea and nothing more than a reminder of what he was. Half-demon and half-human.

But not one of anything.

He was an outcast amongst humans, creatures that hated his kind. Demons were hardly more than evil, vile creatures. They took and they killed and they ravaged. They destroyed families and innocence and murdered children.

And yet, when Inuyasha tried really hard… When he concentrated and let himself go, he could remember his mother humming softly in the kitchen, baking and sending him knowing smiles.

 _They were your father's favourite_ , she had whispered, like it was a secret. Inuyasha burnt his tongue on the first chocolate chip cookie he ate, only minutes after it came out of the oven. His mother had never been more irritated.

Half-demon. Half-monster.

Kagome was a priestess, someone with the power to eradicate a part of his being. A priestess that carried a scent so potent and intoxicating, it was almost damnable in itself. Why, if she was so bad for him, did she smell so good? What drew him to her? What made her special?

 _You're just as bad as him_ , his mother had chastised, all those years ago. She was aggressively washing his hands in the sink, rubbing away all of the melted chocolate that covered his sticky fingers. His burnt tongue would recover in another few minutes. _He never waited until they cooled either. Just like your father. I can't believe it_.

His father – a full-blooded demon – hadn't been able to wait for his mother's cookies.

But he was a monster. Demons were monsters.

And by extension, so was Inuyasha.

* * *

Crying. Someone was crying.

Inuyasha shot up in his bed, eyes already fully open and ears on alert. He took a calming breath and then focused, letting the normal sounds of the house become nothing more than white background noise. The moment he was able to do that, he knew instantly who it was and where.

Cursing under his breath, Inuyasha threw on a pair of sweatpants and creeped out of his bedroom. He was as silent as ever but still paused to check on Miroku, whose bedroom was directly across the hall. He was still sleeping at least, heartbeat steady. Good. He'd been pushing himself all day – in little ways, nothing major – but a concussion wasn't anything to laugh about. Inuyasha was pretty sure the only reason Miroku hadn't done more was because Sango would have threatened him with knives.

Like he suspected, the other bedroom door was wide open. Inuyasha swallowed and thought about a plan, a tactic, _anything_. He still walked closer, still headed towards the living room where she was. This was so far out of his comfort zone it was scary but Inuyasha knew one thing about Sango and it was this: she didn't cry about anything but her family. For her to be awake at three a.m. on a Monday, quietly sobbing into her hands, it had to be bad. Which meant Inuyasha couldn't leave her alone.

He knew the moment she realized he was there. Inuyasha didn't announce himself, didn't really think that saying anything would be beneficial. Instead, the half-demon sat down beside her on the couch, close enough to be comforting but just shy of touching. Sango wasn't tactile, least of all when vulnerable.

And he sat there. Sango's face was buried in her hands, chest and shoulders shaking with each breath. She didn't look at him with teary magenta eyes and he didn't whisper a word. He simply sat beside her and waited. A million thoughts ran through his mind – Miroku would be so much better, was he doing it wrong, should he reach out – but none of them unfroze him. Inuyasha felt more helpless in that moment then when the bear demon was about to claw them to shreds.

"It doesn't feel better."

Inuyasha blinked, his eyes dry and irritated from staring at the black television screen for so long. Looking at his best friend, he took in the redness of her nose and cheeks, the way her eyes were puffy. He heard the way her heart skipped at his assessment, that vulnerability begging for a fight-or-flight instinct. Sango didn't move though. She stared at her hands, now in her lap.

"Did you honestly think it would?"

Sango barked out a bitter laugh, shaking her head at the ceiling. "You are the worst at this."

"And you're the worst at cooking," he shot back immediately, unable to stop himself. For a moment, he was horrified. Then, it came to him slowly that this was exactly what he should be doing. "Sango," he pleaded, "did you actually think it would help?"

She took a long inhale and sobbed a little on the exhale. She nodded like it was the most painful thing in the world. "A little bit," she whispered, voice cracking at the end. Her hands were shaking. "Yeah."

"I'm sorry it didn't," he murmured back at her. He didn't take her hand although the half-demon knew without a doubt Miroku would've. Miroku would've been so, so much better.

Sango shook her head. "It's not your fault."

"It's not yours either."

"Debatable."

Inuyasha snorted. "Don't be a fucking moron." Instantly she turned on him, glaring and mouth opening to the start of a yell. He did touch her then, in that second, grabbing the hand that was partially in the air and drawing it closer to him. "You're smarter than that," Inuyasha snapped, meeting her head on. "So don't be a fucking moron."

Sango blinked, and then blinked again. The smell of salt grew stronger and then she was crying once more. Inuyasha should have kept his damn mouth shut. His thoughts were obviously wrong. Sango didn't need that dose of reality that she usually handed out. She didn't need absolute truths.

"You asshole," she whispered, the sound wet and broken. She tugged on his hand until it was against her chest and then, to Inuyasha's complete surprise, she curled up against him. Her forehead rested on his shoulder, body shrinking so that she was as tiny as he'd ever seen her. It was so unlike the girl he knew.

But Sango wasn't the same now. Her entire family had been murdered and destroying the demon that had done the deed hadn't eradicated any of the grief.

Sango wasn't _supposed_ to be the same.

As she cried against his shoulder, Inuyasha closed his eyes and sank back into the couch. She moved with him, snuggled closer and he didn't breathe a word. He let her cry it out, let her mourn for the family she'd never see again while he mourned the loss of the girl he once knew.

It must have been almost an hour later when his best friend fell asleep, still curled tight in a ball by his side. Her face had smoothed out, but only slightly, the weight of the world still sitting heavily on her shoulders. He wished so strongly in that moment that he could take it all away.

Sango Houko was his best friend and had been since she came down into his old bedroom, despite her parents ordering her to stay away. The first thing she did was threaten to kill him if he attacked her. The second thing she did was ask why he looked so sad.

Sango Houko was his best friend, and she was no less fierce in sleep than she was while awake. She may no longer be the same girl, but she was still Sango.

Inuyasha closed his eyes and slept by her side.

* * *

The day came faster than he wanted it to. Inuyasha already knew it was on the horizon. The sky had always been his guide, even though he could feel the simmering in his blood, dancing in his veins. It didn't make it any easier, knowing that everything would soon change. In fact, it made it worse.

"You guys should go out," Miroku said, lying on the couch in the living room. His feet were propped up in Sango's lap, and though all of them were gathered there, the TV wasn't on. "It's your one day."

"I don't need to go out." Inuyasha tried not to roll his eyes. He knew these plans of theirs were rooted in kind thoughts, but the half-demon had no time for it. A hair demon was on the loose, still yet to be found. Having fun around town at night didn't sound like a great idea.

"How about we go out and bring something back?" Sango suggested. "Milkshakes?"

Inuyasha sighed. "I really don't–"

"Oh my god, I could totally go for a milkshake," Miroku groaned, peeking one eye open to look at her. "Do you promise to bring one back?"

"Duh." Sango gently lifted his feet and stood up. "I'll change. Inuyasha, you good to drive?"

He didn't exactly have a choice, did he? "Yeah." He gave Miroku a short salute and then headed towards the front door. With his keys in hand, he stared down the hallway towards their bedrooms. Sango was going to be another couple of minutes. He didn't need to worry. Still, Inuyasha watched her door while he headed into the bathroom and turned on the light. The single window was dark, the night sky thick with clouds. It didn't matter anyways. There wasn't any moon.

Inuyasha stared at himself in the mirror and didn't know who was looking back.

It was still him. He knew that. But there was a part of him that screamed out how this was very much not him, that the image he saw in the mirror was fake. Black hair instead of silver. Dark brown eyes instead of gold. No ears. No fangs. No claws. Just regular, rounded human ears and a regular set of senses. He couldn't hear, smell or see for shit. Inuyasha hated it, hated _this_.

The night of the new moon turned him human, his demonic side gone. It was one night where he was no different than Sango or Miroku or anyone else he knew. He was plain human, as vulnerable and weak as the rest.

Ever since he was young, Miroku and Sango always treated it like a bit of a party. It was the only actual day that he could go out and do things with them around town. They could go bowling, or shopping, or eat out and not draw any suspicion. It was only for the night, and only happened once a month, but it became a bit of a tradition.

There was nothing he hated more. It was one thing to turn human and stay at home where he knew he was safe. It was another thing entirely to go out there, into the world full of demons and dangers and secrets he knew all too well, and pretend like everything was _fine_. Inuyasha felt like he was missing a massive piece of himself. Nothing felt right. But Miroku and Sango were so happy to actually be able to do something with him that he never said no.

He'd been hoping – pretty selfishly – that because of Miroku's concussion they wouldn't go out this year. Apparently, no such luck.

Inuyasha frowned at himself and headed back to the front door, getting there just in time for Sango to enter. She slid on her boots and followed him out, hair bouncing in her ponytail. She grinned at him. "Want to go to the McDonald's in Wells? We can just grab shakes and head back, if that's okay with you?"

He shrugged, acquiescing because he didn't really have a choice. Or, there was a choice but not one he'd get out of easily. Being human made it harder to turn his friends down. He felt so off-kilter, moodier. Everything had to be kept down on lock. "Sounds good." Maybe they could just do the drive-thru thing.

It turned out that they could not, in fact, do the drive-thru thing. Inuyasha tried not to feel irrationally angry. He supposed that they _could_ wait in the massive line – and why was the line so huge this late at night? – but Sango pointed out it would be way faster for them to park and order inside. Inuyasha pursed his lips but did it anyways. The faster they went in, the faster they got back into the car and drove home. There was nothing insurmountable about getting milkshakes from McDonald's.

The lines were a lot smaller inside, though there were a few families waiting with kids clearly in sports gear. Some big tournament must have just ended and that was why everyone was trying to order at the same time. Inuyasha already knew what the three of them wanted – vanilla for Sango, strawberry for Miroku and chocolate for himself. All they needed were three milkshakes.

And for the machine to not be broken.

Sango placed the order while Inuyasha hung back, eyes looking around the place for any potential threats. It was both louder than he was used to, and not. With his demonic hearing, everything was generally loud. There was so much sound coming at him all at once. But with his demonic hearing, he was able to focus more. He could tune in to a person's heartbeat, or listen to the whoosh of nearby vents. Being human was just a constant stream of noise.

Which was why, as he and Sango stood back to wait for their shakes to be made, he didn't expect anyone to tap Sango on the shoulder. And he certainly didn't expect to look over and see a shell-shocked Kagome, staring at him like he was a ghost.

"Am I dreaming?" Kagome whispered. Her hand was on Sango's arm, but neither seemed to really notice. Sango laughed a little and shook her head.

"It's kind of hard to explain."

Inuyasha _did not_ want to explain. He didn't want to tell Kagome and he sure as shit didn't want to tell Kagome _here_. Jesus Christ, could one thing go right? When he felt hands touching the top of his head, it took every ounce of Inuyasha's willpower to simply not launch her into a nearby wall. "What the _fuck_?" he hissed, stepping away. How dare she touch him when he was like this? When he was human and defenceless and clearly unhappy?

Kagome blushed instantly, her hands pressing up against her chest. "I'm sorry. Crap– I'm so sorry. I just didn't know where they…went?"

She was referring to his ears. Inuyasha growled and turned away, crossing his arms. Whatever. How long did it take for milkshakes to be made anyways?

"…quickly, but I didn't know you'd be here," Sango said. He completely missed the first part of her sentence and it made him even _angrier_. He hated this night. He hated being human. He honestly hated this weak, miserable part of himself.

"I'm with Yuka, Eri and Ayumi," Kagome replied. "We usually come here and hangout. With everything that was going on, I haven't really seen them so… They were getting worried. And I really don't need them asking questions."

Inuyasha caught Sango's wince from the corner of his eye. "Probably a good idea."

"Order 7-1-2," one of the McDonald's employees called out. Inuyasha thought it was about fucking time and stormed up, taking the three drinks with barely more than a tight-lipped smile. It was probably closer to the grimace.

"Here," Sango said suddenly, stepping into his space and grabbing the shakes. "Let me take these."

Inuyasha actually fumbled slightly, taken aback by how quickly she removed them from his hands and whisked away, like fire was hot on her heels. Inuyasha frowned and was about to yell at her when Kagome came to his side, hands extended like she was going to reach out. She didn't touch him – not this time – and she looked upset.

And that honestly made him even more frustrated. What the _hell_ was going on?

"Hey," she said, pretty quiet considering how loud the place was. "Look, I'm really sorry. I shouldn't have touched you without asking first."

Inuyasha could feel his lip wanting to curl, his body tensing with the instinct to fight. Because she was right: she shouldn't have done it. Inuyasha was never more vulnerable than he was on the night of the new moon and just because she was shocked didn't mean she had a right to grab him. They weren't friends. They weren't close. They were friends by association maybe. He took her home a lot.

That was it.

His silence seemed to hit something in her. Kagome took a step back and bit at her lower lip, eyes no longer meeting his. "Have a good night, okay?"

And he was mad. He _was_. Inuyasha knew anger and frustration. It felt like as a half-demon, those emotions were always there, lingering just underneath the surface. They were so easy to call on. As a human, it wasn't much different. The emotions were still there.

But as a human, they seemed to disappear just as fast. He actually felt _bad_. "It's fine," he answered finally, not even growling the words. "I don't–" _Like being like this_. The words almost left his mouth. He exhaled, defeated. "It's fine. I'll see you later."

Kagome's dark brown gaze met his and this time, there was a tiny smile there. He could still see the flush in her cheeks, the embarrassment that coursed through her, but the tension left her shoulders. It was enough to make the bad feeling sitting in the pit of his stomach go away, so Inuyasha gave a half-assed wave and walked out. He was going to ask Sango what the fuck she'd been thinking. Taking the shakes and leaving him open like that was completely unfair.

When he got into the car though, Sango was giving him this knowing smile, like she was holding some kind of secret. Inuyasha felt his chest tighten, a strange swooping sensation filling his gut.

In the end, he said nothing at all.

* * *

Days later, Inuyasha stood at the cave and listened.

Miroku and Sango were patrolling together a little further ahead, the ATVs roaring across the landscape. Logically, he knew they were fine. The two of them knew the forest as well as he did. They knew every nook and cranny, had been running in it since they were children. But something felt off and Inuyasha didn't like it.

A small tiny voice in the back of his head whispered that it was because of the bear demon attack. It sounded stupid, but what if? There had been a moment, when he was on top of Sango and feeling the bear's claws deep in his body that he wondered: would they make it out alive? They had never faced demons alone before, not the three of them. There was always Sango's father, or Sango's mother. There was always a team of them. Now, they consisted of two young slayers, a half-demon and some human–

Not just a human. A priestess.

A rustling noise distracted him from his thoughts. It sounded like a branch snapping but was too quiet. Muffled. Not right.

Inuyasha took off, ears perked and trying to pinpoint exactly where the noise came from. It hadn't been far. He couldn't smell anything yet, nothing other than the forest and dirt. But something was there, something was off. Inuyasha could feel it, deep in his bones. Skidding to a stop in a tiny clearing, Inuyasha paused and listened. He took a deep breath and held it, focusing only on what was around him. The ATVs could be heard far, far away. There was little wind but still the leaves rustled slightly. There was something else.

"Oooh," a high-pitched, female voice cooed.

Inuyasha's head snapped up, golden eyes searching the treetops. "Who's there?" he demanded harshly.

A tiny giggle sounded, almost child-like. "What pretty silver hair you have," the voice purred.

Inuyasha couldn't see her but his ears tracked where the sound was coming from. He bounded towards the tree, feet hitting the rough bark as he reached for the nearest branch. He propelled himself upwards only to be hit forcefully by some invisible force. The breath was knocked out of him and he slammed into a tree, head smashing painfully against it. For a moment his vision blurred, the forest dancing before him all fuzzy.

And then he saw her.

Red eyes and short black hair, chopped bluntly at her jaw. Her lips were a darker shade of red, shining like she had licked them. She blinked her big eyes and then smiled, coy. "Oh me, oh my," she whispered, leaning forwards. "Now that _is_ pretty."

"What do you want?" Inuyasha yelled, unable to move. He couldn't see anything binding him but his hands were flat against the tree bark, stuck. It was like some invisible band, pinning him to the tree.

"Why, your hair of course," the demon replied. She reached out and brushed gently against his bangs, hand grasping some strands and pulling them closer. "I've never seen such a colour on hair so lively."

"Fuck off," Inuyasha spat. He tugged, barely inching forward. If this was the hair demon – and all clues pointed towards that conclusion – then he couldn't see the hair. Only Kagome could, just like back at the house. But just because it was invisible, didn't mean it wasn't breakable. He twisted his hands, scratching with his claws in the air. He felt tiny pinpricks, little slices against his fingertips. Would it be enough? "Who are you?"

"Oh my, that's no way to speak to a lady." The hair demon took a step back, examining him from head to toe. "They call me Yura of the Hair. Demoness. You have such beautiful hair and yet, you're only a half-breed. I can _smell_ the stench of human on you. How pitiful."

"And I can smell the bitch radiating off you." Inuyasha tried to move his hands and it worked, though he was still too bound. Just a little more. "Hair demon, really?"

She tutted at him and extended a hand, a sharp nail slicing into his jaw. The sting of pain was brief, his body already fighting to heal. Yura smirked and then licked the blood off of her own hand. "I'm so much more than that," she murmured, raising a brow. "Don't you see? This town is going to burn soon enough, once he arrives. I may as well enjoy the spoils while they last. The energy here is just so…" She took a deep breath in, eyes closing almost as in euphoria. "Powerful."

Smelling power? She was freaking nuts. Inuyasha sliced into the air and actually felt the binding around him loosen, just enough that when he lunged forward he broke away. Yura actually shrieked a little, feigning to the side and narrowing missing his claws. He lunged again, aiming for her throat when she thrust her hands towards him, fingers dancing like a master puppeteer. Inuyasha growled as he slammed backwards yet again into another tree.

"Half-demon, half-power," Yura cooed, giving him a filthy look. She tilted her head and Inuyasha could hear just as well the unmistakable sound of the ATVs drawing closer. Sango and Miroku were coming. Instead of fear, the hair demon only looked pleased. "Oh, this will most certainly be _fun_ ," she laughed. Throwing her hands out, she spun in a circle and then giggled. "Until later, handsome."

Growling, Inuyasha was helpless watching as she bounded away. His hands were pressed tighter than last time, making moving his claws almost impossible. He'd have to have Miroku and Sango cut it for him, unless he wanted to sit there for an hour. "Sango!" he yelled, craning his neck to see around the tree. He could hear them coming closer.

And then Sango cried out.

He couldn't see them. Inuyasha could feel panic threading like lead through his veins. If Yura had returned and was taking them out, he was stuck and useless. "Sango!" he called out again.

"I'm okay," she shouted back, muttering a curse under her breath shortly after. "Miroku, wait!"

Then Miroku made a startled yelp, the ATV's motor jolting as if he gunned down in surprise. "What the hell?" he asked.

"Some kind of razor wire," Sango answered. "I'm cut everywhere." Inuyasha could smell the blood. "I can't _see_ anything though."

Fuck. It was all a game to her. "It's hair," Inuyasha snapped, unable to stop the growl from entering his voice. "She's surrounded the area with it probably. I'm stuck."

"With hair?" Miroku pressed.

"Yes, _with hair_." It was humiliating. "I found the hair demon, Yura. She was here."

"Hold on." He could hear Sango moving, her footsteps light across the dirt. "I'm going to slice at whatever hair there is to get to you."

"Let me help–"

"It's bad enough you bullied your way to do this with us," Sango interrupted. Inuyasha couldn't see her but her magenta glare was pretty easy to guess. "You're sitting down."

"It was going for a ride in fresh air," Miroku argued, "not watching a movie!"

"Your brain needs rest."

"I'm _tired_ of rest."

Inuyasha snorted. The same argument had been said now every day for the last few days. He could feel his ears straining, listening as Sango likely grabbed a knife from the pack on the ATV and walked back. There was the tiniest sound of slashing, the whoosh of air around the blade. There was a step and then a gasp, tiny but there. "What?" he asked.

"Goddamn hair," Sango snapped, clearly irritated. He could hear the rustle of her clothes as she swung her arms in the air. "I can't see anything but I don't understand how I can be _missing_. I'm still getting cut."

Another step, more slashes. Two steps. Slash. A tiny grunt of pain.

"Sango, jeez, stop," Miroku ordered. "You're bleeding everywhere."

Inuyasha looked up the sky, unbelievably irritated. This couldn't be happening.

"It's fine," Sango gritted out. "I'm almost to him."

"Where it's probably worse," his friend argued. "Sango, holy– Stop! There's blood falling in your eye, you _idiot_."

Sango let out an exasperated cry, frustration obvious. "Well, then what do you suggest? He sleep out here until the hair blows away with the damn wind?"

No. Inuyasha closed his eyes and knew exactly what was coming.

"Kagome can see the hair, right? We're not that far." When Miroku said it, it sounded so logical. Of course that was the solution. Every fibre of his being was wondering _why_ everything had to come back to the girl. Was it not enough that her scent practically haunted him? Every time he saw her, it felt like it imprinted in his memory.

"I can get there," Sango countered.

"You've maybe covered three feet of distance and are bleeding everywhere," Miroku replied, voice as calm as ever. "And you have at least fifteen feet left to go." Finally, he stepped into Inuyasha's line of sight, giving him an apologetic glance. "You're going to have to hold tight."

Inuyasha shrugged. Not like he had a choice. Miroku eyed him funnily but turned his attention back to Sango, who was apparently starting up the ATV. He listened as it roared away, seeing only the tail end of it as she disappeared from sight.

"Learn anything about the demon?" his blue-eyed friend asked, leaning against a far tree.

"Her name is Yura," Inuyasha replied. Grudgingly he added, only because he knew it'd make Miroku smile, "She likes my hair."

It had the desired effect. For the first time in nearly a week, he smiled. "You don't say."

"But she wants to kill me."

"Obviously."

It was then another part of the past conversation registered, making the half-demon frown. "She said that the town was going to burn once _he_ arrived."

As quick as the smile came, it disappeared. Miroku furrowed his brow, clenching his right hand into a fist like he often did when thinking or stressed. "Who was she referring to?"

"No freaking clue." She seemed like a whole whack of crazy. "But it seemed like even she didn't want to get in his way. Yura wants to enjoy the town before he arrives."

"Well, we'll need to figure that out. Great, another demon to add to the list."

"There always is."

Miroku shook his head. "Not like this."

"No, not like this," he echoed. The town of Sakura was getting worse, with demon attacks more frequent than he'd ever seen. The crow demon and bear demon, plus this hair demon with the threat of another on its way? "Why do you think that is?"

"It makes no sense. Kagome's presence – if Mushin is right – would mean that demons would avoid her, and Sakura by extension. Not come here. There has to be something else. Something we're missing."

Inuyasha held back a sigh. It seemed to be all that he was doing lately was missing things. "Have you spoken to Sango at all?" he asked then. It was changing the subject but given that he was stuck to a tree, there wasn't much else to do. With Sango gone, it was a rare moment for the two of them to talk.

"What about?" Miroku pushed himself away from the tree, narrowing his eyes.

"The bear demon being gone."

For a moment, it looked like he wasn't going to say anything, face as blank as he'd ever seen. Miroku was a pretty expressive person. Where Inuyasha tried his best to keep everything under wraps, his best friend never did the same. He wasn't made that way. Yet in that second, there was nothing. But then Miroku seemingly deflated, head turning to look around the forest as if Sango would pop out unexpectedly. Inuyasha knew she was still far away, probably at Kagome's house.

"She can't accept it," Miroku blurted. His blue eyes were heartbroken, or at least, that's what the half-demon assumed. The look wasn't that far off when the police showed up at their doorstep, those weeks ago. "She's having a hard time letting it go."

"She needs to."

"No shit."

Inuyasha smirked, amused despite the situation. "I think my talk with her made things worse."

"Doubt it." Miroku shook his head. "You get her in ways that I don't."

That made Inuyasha pause, confused. "I'm pretty sure you're completely wrong."

"Not about this." His friend shrugged and went back to leaning against the tree. "It's good for her. I can't be tough on her. I don't even know how. I can fight her on things but it never works out well for me in the end."

"You give in. Every time."

Miroku gestured wildly with his arms, limbs seemingly heavy. "I don't know how to not."

Maybe love did that to people. Inuyasha didn't really know; his only examples were Miroku and Sango's not-quite-relationship and the subtle affection her parents once had. Not exactly a huge sample size. His silence ended the conversation, at least until the familiar roar of the ATV came closer. Inuyasha refused to let himself take a deep breath, to try and sift through scents just to find hers. It would've been a difficult task anyways, but the fact that he even considered it was awful. Out of character for him, at the very least.

Sango parked the ATV by Miroku and Kagome was clearly looking around, eyes wide as she took in things none of the rest of them could see. Her head rolled on her shoulders, taking in every inch of the forest until her dark brown gaze landed on him. He didn't think it was possible, but her eyes grew even wider.

"Holy crap," she whispered.

Honestly, to Inuyasha, it was practically a shout.

"That bad?" Sango asked, cringing slightly. Her hand was already back on her knife, free hand pressing against a cut on her on temple. She must have wiped the blood away at some point because there were only little mottled dots of crimson along her face and arms, drying and darkening.

"It's like… I don't know." Kagome shook her head. "It's like a web but it's just a disaster. There's hair everywhere." Without looking back, she put her hand out towards Sango.

Without hesitation, Sango handed it over. "Can I help?"

"I don't know." Kagome bit her lip and started to move. Unlike Sango's earlier movements, she didn't swing wildly or randomly. She made tiny slashes at different points, dark eyes always roaming. It was captivating, which only made Inuyasha more irritated, made him want to claw out of the bindings and get as far away as possible. The itch was hard to ignore, especially since she moved towards him incredibly slowly. So often, Kagome would have to pause and look around before making slashes at several points.

"There can't be that much," Inuyasha snapped, unable to stop himself.

Kagome flinched, turning quickly to face him and wincing as she did so. She looked down at her bare arm and Inuyasha didn't have to breathe in to know that she was bleeding. Goddamn it. "Happy?" she asked, sparing him a brief glare before getting back to work.

"Whatever," he mumbled. It was quiet enough that none of the humans heard but Miroku was still giving him a _look_. What had he even done to deserve it this time?

It was painfully slow and Inuyasha was struggling against the invisible binds when she finally came close enough. Kagome frowned and tilted her head, hesitating for only a moment before she went to the other side of the tree and started to cut. He couldn't see anything but he could feel the hair that was restricting him fall away, enough to finally free him. "There you go," Kagome said, straightening. "Follow me out, okay?"

Inuyasha was pretty sure he didn't feel the hair exactly like the humans did. Instead of arguing, he followed, keeping his damn mouth shut in case Miroku decided to get any more ideas of what was going on in his head. He looked around the trees, seeing absolutely nothing that the girl was. It was pretty damning evidence, proving the old man's point. Only a priestess would have the power to see something demonic that no one else could see – not even other demons.

"Finally," Sango breathed, the second they made it into the clearing she and Miroku were waiting in. "Is there really that much hair?"

"Probably more than whatever you're thinking," Kagome replied, dark brown gaze studying the space around them. Whatever she was witnessing, it was useless to them now. The hair demon – Yura – managed to get away. They needed to find her as fast as they could. If he ran far enough, he wondered if the smell of hair would be able to track her. It was too strong where they were, but further out…

Miroku snapped fingers in front of his face. "Inuyasha?"

"What?" the half-demon barked out.

"Pardon me from getting your attention when I've only been talking to you this entire time." Miroku rolled his eyes and leaned back against the same tree as earlier. "What's your game plan? Should we go back to the house and come up with a plan?"

"There's no 'we' in this," Sango cut in immediately, shaking her head. "You shouldn't be aggravating your concussion."

"I feel better than I have in days," Miroku argued, clearly exasperated. "It's not like I'm staring at a TV. This is fresh air. The ATV ride didn't even bother me."

Sango crossed her arms. "You're in no condition to fight. Inuyasha, tell him."

He so didn't want to be in the middle of it. Still, she had a point. "You can't fight."

"I'm not even talking about fighting." Miroku waved his arms in the air, frustrated. "I'm talking about coming up with a plan, like finding her or tracking her down. Can you pick up her scent at all?"

"Too much hair, the smell is too strong." Inuyasha pointed in the direction that she took off in. "But she went that way, so we can try to follow it, see if I can pick anything up further away."

"Not that way." Kagome's voice calling out startled all three of them. Inuyasha couldn't help the frown deepening on his face.

"What?" It felt like that was the only question he asked lately.

"The hair is all connected, right?" Kagome bullied her way through their little circle and headed in the opposite direction. "You can't see it, but I can. And the hair? There's a ton of it but they all wrap around other strands, and they wrap around other strands, and it goes on and on–"

Inuyasha couldn't help interrupting because _really_? "Is there a point?"

" _Until_ they all bind to eight, nine… Maybe ten strands total. All going that way." Kagome pointed towards what she was facing, looking back at them as if she expected them to simply take her at her word.

"But she went the other way," Inuyasha stated.

"But the strands go _this way_." Kagome made a face at him, clearly irritated. "Why are you fighting me on this? I'm the only one that can actually see."

He could practically feel Sango's and Miroku's eyes on him. It made heat crawl up the back of his neck. Why _was_ he fighting her so hard? Was it because he knew she was a priestess now? Did that make it worse? Did it make him instinctually fight with her before, and make him fight her harder now because he knew? Miroku would have a field day trying to dissect it all, if the half-demon felt compelled to tell him. Which he didn't.

"I'm not lying," Kagome pressed.

She was right. It made every muscle in Inuyasha's body tense up. "Whatever."

" _Whatever_ ," she mocked, rolling her eyes. "What will it take for you to just believe me for once?"

"Maybe come better prepared for demon slaying? You look like you're going to run a marathon."

Kagome tilted her head backwards, looking to the sky as if it had answers. "I had to lie to my mom with _something_ to come here and save your butt! I run in this forest so it was at least _plausible_. What did you want me to say?"

"Why should I care?"

"Guys!" Sango cut in, stepping in between them. Only then did Inuyasha notice how much closer they had gotten, as irritated with each other as they were. "Save this bickering for later, after we kill her. It's bad enough this situation has come up at all."

"Shouldn't we go back and get better weapons?" Miroku asked, looking skeptical. "We don't even know what's going to kill it."

"And risk her getting away?" Inuyasha replied. "We haven't been able to catch any sort of scent or trail on her since the last kill. Are we just going to hope that she comes for me again? Or kills another human?"

"It's never that simple," Sango argued.

"Sometimes it has to be." Inuyasha crossed his arms, feeling himself dig in more than just metaphorically. "She's a demon. Doesn't matter how but I'm going to kill her."

Sango made a frustrated noise; it was the same one she normally reserved for Miroku when he was being too protective or sincere. "And how are you even going to see her attack? Newsflash, Inuyasha: she's got hair that you can't see. You were just bound to a tree!"

Inuyasha scowled harder, mind made up. "I have her." He gestured towards Kagome, ignoring the way the girl's expression turned incredulous.

Miroku actually burst into laughter, which made everything worse. "That only puts her in more danger and you in a _less_ precarious position. It's still dangerous."

"The whole thing is dangerous," Inuyasha snapped, patience completely gone. "But she said something was coming here. _Someone_. Someone who plans on destroying Sakura and likely everyone who lives in it. So if Yura has clues into what's happening, we can't just let her escape. This ends _now_."

"Great speech, Braveheart, but it doesn't mean shit when you're going to go kill yourself," Sango drawled.

Instead of saying anything to her, Inuyasha turned to look at Kagome, golden gaze challenging. "You agree with me," he stated. He didn't know, not for sure, but the black-haired girl was pensive while the other two argued with him. It was only a hunch but he had to play it out. Otherwise, Yura was going to get away.

Kagome looked like it was killing her to admit it, which was the only reason Inuyasha knew he had won. "We can't risk her killing someone else. The demon killed that couple one week after her first kill. Today's the seventh day. She's going to kill again, soon, if not tonight."

"Fine," Sango replied, clearly not happy about it. "But if I make the call, we run."

Inuyasha crouched down onto the ground and Kagome didn't even hesitate before climbing onto his back. Miroku's mouth was a thin line but he didn't say anything, getting on the ATV while Sango rifled through the pack on the vehicle, pulling out some ammo for the gun already holstered onto her thigh. It was now or never, and Inuyasha knew the window was small. He turned his head to get a glance at Kagome. "Is it clear to run ahead?"

"Uh," she hesitated, squinting a little before pointing a little left. "That's the clearest way."

"Then hold on."

"Aren't we going to–" Before she could finish, Inuyasha took off in the direction she pointed to. He could hear Miroku yelling, soon joined by Sango's furious shout. He knew without a doubt he was going to hear about it the second they caught up – _if_ they did – but Inuyasha couldn't risk it. Miroku and Sango were too much of a liability, unproperly armed with one of them on the rebound from a concussion. They couldn't go into the fight.

But Inuyasha could.

"Why aren't we waiting for them?" Kagome exclaimed, arms gripping tighter around his neck.

"They'll only get hurt and I can't protect them both." The half-demon wasn't stupid; he knew exactly what he was suggesting. Miroku and Sango were his family though and far too important to risk. Kagome was– Unexpected. Unplanned. But she was a priestess and he never made a promise to her. She showed up ready to fight anyways.

"Right!" Kagome yelled suddenly, distracting him from his thoughts. He veered into the direction she called out, and then jumped off of a fallen log to get a better view of the forest at the top. He could feel Kagome's muscles tightening around him, a barely heard sharp exhale of breath. "Stay right," she continued, "there's more hair up here."

Yura wanted higher ground then. Made sense if she was controlling the humans like puppets.

"Slow down," Kagome called out after a few minutes of running, leaning as much as she could on his left side. He couldn't parse out her expression but she pointed towards a split-up tree closer to the ground. Inuyasha stopped and dropped to the forest floor, crouched and listening. The musky smell was strong here but other than thick, leafy branches above he couldn't see anything. Still, Kagome wouldn't have stopped him for no reason. "I think this is it," she stated in a whisper. She slid off of his body and Inuyasha was able to finally get a good look at her. Her dark brown eyes were wide and assessing, scanning the trees and branches. "It's almost like a nest up there and I don't see the hair going anywhere else."

"Where's the best way to get in?" Inuyasha asked, flexing his hands. He'd have to claw his way in, but any sort of break in the hair would undoubtedly alert the demon.

Abruptly, Kagome grabbed his arm and took a step back, expression going fearful. "It's shifting."

"What's shifting?" he demanded, listening as hard as he could. All he could hear was the breeze in the damn trees, nothing else. His senses were going to be useless here.

"Well, well, the pretty puppy came here at last!" The overly cheerful voice came from above, the shadow of her body appearing not even a second after. Her blood-red lips were curled into a smile, gaze sharp and assessing. The hair demon looked him up and down before sparing a glance in Kagome's direction. Inuyasha growled, shifting slightly to block her view. He needed Yura focused on _him_. "I see you brought a friend," the hair demon murmured, pouting. "Her hair isn't even as close to as nice as yours. Look at those split ends!"

"Hey!" Kagome yelled, clearly indignant.

Inuyasha couldn't stop the sharp glare he sent her way, praying the girl would get the message to _shut the hell up_. "You should never have come to Sakura," he stated, crouching slightly and ready to move at the hair demon's tiniest flinch. "Haven't you heard the stories?"

"Of the fearsome slayers?" Yura actually looked bored, her composure as relaxed as someone talking about the weather outside. "Please. Everyone knows they're dead. He killed them after all."

The news made him narrow his eyes, suspicions slowly curling into theories. He opened his mouth but Kagome – stupid, goddamn _Kagome_ – beat him to it.

"The bear demon?" she asked, one hand clenched in a fist around her top. The human couldn't have looked more ill-at-ease if she tried. It was like she _wanted_ Yura to go after her. Inuyasha was going to kill her himself.

The hair demon threw her head back and laughed, a high-pitched giggling that grated on his nerves. "Oh sweetie, you're too precious. You humans have no imagination."

So there was someone else and whoever it was, they were the ones who controlled the bear demon, who killed the Houko family. Sango was going to lose it. "Well I've got plenty," Inuyasha growled out, crouching lower. "And I already know how this fight is going to go."

Yura didn't even stop laughing as Inuyasha rushed forward to attack. She twirled and shot out a hand towards him.

"Jump, _left_!" Kagome screamed and the half-demon threw his body up, feeling only a whoosh of air. He sharply pushed off of a tree and dived at the hair demon, claws extended and itching for blood. He managed to grab around her throat, the point of his fingernail digging in. Yura screamed and before Inuyasha could do anything he was being thrown backwards.

"You wretched _thing_ ," the hair demon hissed. "You are not some human after all."

Kagome stumbled backwards, turning to run. Inuyasha rolled forward and growled, trying to draw the attention back to himself. He managed to get close before Yura turned and blocked him, kicking out with her leg and slashing at him with her other hand. It was an assault and Inuyasha felt himself going back, on the defensive, blocking rather than attacking.

"I will kill you first," the hair demon sneered, blood red lips curling into a smile. "And then I'll torture that thing in the human girl's body. How dare she _see_!"

"Good fucking luck getting through me," Inuyasha snapped, feigning going down and then smashing his elbows on top of her body as she bent. Yura staggered and Inuyasha grabbed her head, kneed it and threw her backwards. The hair demon rolled but somehow managed to get back to her feet. A small smear of blood leaked from the corner of her mouth and she licked at it.

Inuyasha growled and lunged, narrowly missing her own attack before clawing at her face.

"You are annoying me now," Yura yelled, hands grabbing at his silver hair. "I will scalp you and let you bleed out, while I take this silver for a prize."

"Can you _shut up_?" The half-demon punched, missed and then rolled, surprising Yura enough that she hesitated on her next attack. Inuyasha pushed back against the ground, using all of the power in his legs to leap forward with his claws extended, mouth open in a roar.

The hair demon gasped and Inuyasha felt the snapping of bones, the hotness of freshly pumped blood curling around his hand. The two of them fell to the ground, the half-demon on top, and all he could see now were Yura's blood-red eyes, wide and surprised.

His hand was through her chest. With one harsh movement, he pulled it out.

"What–?" Yura looked down at herself, shock in every line of her body. Then she glared at him, still somehow breathing, still somehow able to talk without blood overflowing into her throat, her mouth, choking her. "How _rude_ of you to stick your hands in a lady's chest _uninvited_!"

Inuyasha couldn't help but take a step back. How was this even possible? The hole in her chest was there but there was _nothing_ coming out. No blood, no tissue, no organs. He had felt _bone breaking_ and yet the hair demon clambered up, shrieking.

"I will _slaughter_ you," Yura exclaimed. "I am done with these games. You are a filthy, disgusting half-breed and I will be the one to take the so-called great abomination _down_."

Inuyasha leaped into the air but before he could grab onto any tree there was a force wrapping itself around him, pulling him back down sharply to the ground. His head smashed into the dirt floor, his vision blurry and suddenly the demon was on top of him, slashing at his face. One long nail sliced at his throat and he felt the catch in his breath, the blood slowly starting to leak into his throat. He hit her arms and tried to buck her off but she was too strong, had too much leverage in their position.

He was going to die. The next breath would be his last.

Yura screamed, her hands wrapping around his face. He felt her claws digging in and on his next inhale, everything burned.

But then Yura _screamed_. Shrieked. Like something was tearing her body apart bit by bit. Suddenly the hands around his head left and he could feel the hair demon scrambling to get off of him. He hadn't heard gunshots. He hadn't seen anyone around him.

That meant one person.

" _Kagome!_ " He yelled, as loud and as clear as he could, pain lancing into his skull. Without knowing what to do, without the ability to understand anything that was going on, Inuyasha wrapped his hands around the demon and held on. He felt his body drag against the dirt as Yura struggled, as she screamed again and she collapsed to the ground. Inuyasha was losing consciousness but he held tighter, as tight as he could.

The screaming stopped.

Seconds passed. Maybe minutes. Inuyasha didn't know and it was a struggle to stay awake. He heard a familiar voice, a panicked rush of words that were so familiar. He'd been in this position before.

"Inuyasha, shit, Inuyasha don't you pass out on me." Kagome. Of course, it was Kagome. It was always, always Kagome, that stupid, reckless girl. He opened his eyes.

Kagome was leaning over him, her ponytail swinging over his shoulder and brushing his face. She was grabbing at his shoulders, rolling him to his side and lifting his head. Pain shot down his spine like an icy tendril and he was unable to stop the groan. His throat burned. "Shh, just relax. You'll heal. You're going to heal. You promised me that you heal." She was repeating the same thing over and over, as if the more she said it, the more it came true. Inuyasha could barely focus but his body tingled. His head was put down on something soft and the strong, overwhelming smell of the girl flooded his senses.

Bit by bit, the half-demon felt his body relax. Slowly, ever so slowly, the pain receded.

"Inuyasha! Inuyasha! Kagome!"

The half-demon blinked and winced, the light making his headache worse. And wow, did he have a headache.

"Over here!" Kagome yelled and Inuyasha wanted to snarl, the sound of her voice grating on his overly raw nerves. The half-demon took a tentative swallow and bit back a groan. Fuck, it hurt.

"Holy shit," Sango exclaimed and suddenly she came into view.

Inuyasha realized with a jolt that he was lying down on Kagome's lap. He pushed up off the ground, arms feeling fine but his neck tilted to a weird angle, making his throat _scream_. He flinched back down, just as Kagome's hand fell into his hair, holding him.

"Don't move, I swear to god," Kagome hissed at him. "You need to heal."

But he sure as shit wasn't going to heal any faster by lying down _on her lap_. Swatting at her hands, Inuyasha struggled to sit up. Kagome was cursing at him as he did so but he ignored her, blinking against the black spots in his vision. His headache was brutal and swallowing was like dragging sandpaper over raw, fleshy skin. Tentatively, he touched his throat, feeling the remains of a cut there. It was no longer deep.

"What the _fuck_ was that?" Sango screamed, suddenly right in his space. Her face was inches from his and fire literally burned in his eyes. "You fucking abandon us in the woods to what? Take the demon on alone? Are you fucking _insane_? This is _exactly_ – _EXACTLY –_ what I didn't want to happen!"

Inuyasha stared at her, unable to speak. He wondered what she got from his expression, imagined that she didn't get much of anything. He didn't regret his decision. Keeping the two of them safe was his number one priority, always.

"What happened?" That demand was Miroku, clearly just as pissed off. Inuyasha turned his head to look at him, unable to stop the grimace at the pain.

When it seemed to click that he couldn't speak, Kagome laid a hand on his shoulder for the barest of seconds before removing it, like she was burned. He remembered, vividly, the way he reacted last time she touched him. "He can't talk. The demon sliced at his throat pretty good. He's been in and out of it for about five minutes."

That was all?

"And Yura?"

"Dead." Kagome gestured to a nearby tree, pointing to its base. There lay a shattered skull, broken into bits. "I don't know what happened. Inuyasha was fighting her and should have killed her. He put his hand through her chest but she was still alive. I couldn't do anything but I noticed when she was attacking him with the hair that it all lead to somewhere." She waved at the skull fragments again. "That."

"The hair was on the skull?" Miroku asked, frowning.

"More like…coming from it." Kagome shook her head and shrugged. "I thought that if I could break it, maybe she wouldn't have the ability to control the hair anymore. I started to smash it with a rock and then she went nuts. Screaming. I thought Inuyasha had killed her but she was coming after me." She looked at him then, her dark brown gaze intent and so, so wide. "But Inuyasha stopped her. I broke it and all of a sudden she vanished into thin air."

"The demon wasn't Yura, it was the skull," Sango said slowly, as if putting the pieces together as she spoke the words out loud. "She was its own puppet, something to lead out its actions."

"Honestly, I have no idea." Kagome shook her head.

"You did it again," Miroku stated, holding out a hand. Kagome took it and let him help her up, Inuyasha feeling absolutely nothing at the action. He stayed on the ground and turned his attention back to Sango, who was back to glaring at him again.

"I'm really fucking mad at you," she said, almost too calmly.

The half-demon knew exactly what that meant. He nodded.

"We'll talk about this later," Miroku said, "back at the house."

Kagome groaned and buried her face in her hands. "Oh my god, Mom is going to kill me. I never take this long on runs. She's probably freaking out."

"Get on the ATV. I'll take you back as quick as I can," Sango offered.

And honestly, Inuyasha couldn't explain it. Maybe he just wanted more time away from Miroku and Sango, knowing things were only going to get worse. Maybe after she saved his life – again – he felt like he owed her. But the half-demon didn't look at it too closely, not yet, and forced himself to stand. Other than his throat and the headache that was tentatively turning into a dull ache, his body was fine. Inuyasha was faster.

Touching her wrist, Inuyasha tugged lightly, enough to make the girl turn around. Kagome frowned at him for a moment and then looked absolutely incredulous when he crouched down slightly. "Are you kidding me? You were nearly killed!"

Inuyasha grabbed at her wrist again and tugged, a little more forceful. This wasn't a negotiation. He was taking her back.

"You should be resting–"

"Shut up," the half-demon ground out, feeling his frustration starting to build. One nice thing. He was doing _one nice thing_.

Kagome stared at him unbelievingly for a moment before turning to Sango. "He's insane but he's faster."

Sango narrowed her eyes at him, probably knowing exactly what was going on in her mind. She didn't say anything though as Kagome climbed on. Without another word – because those simple two words seconds ago were more than enough – he took off. In truth, they weren't that far away from her house. It took mere minutes and then they were just inside the treeline.

Kagome clambered off and smiled at him, big and genuine. "Thank you," she said, heartfelt. "Mom's already going to be suspicious of me for running in the forest again, after so long. But now I'm probably grounded." She faced the direction of her house and winced. "Maybe for a week."

He wanted to ask what that meant, _after so long_. This is where they always seemed to say things to each other, without really learning much at all. Inuyasha opened his mouth, closed it, and then when it looked like Kagome was going to take a step away, he blurted it out. "You run in the forest?"

Kagome nodded before making some unknown gesture with her hands. "I used to. Every morning, sometimes even at night. I follow this path," she said, pointing down it. "But when that centipede demon attacked, I–" She bit her lip, shrugged. "It's been hard to go back in. Alone, at least. When Sango came on the ATV, I didn't even question it. Funny, how your brain works." She shrugged again and gave him a smile. "Feel better, okay? And don't be too hard on Sango and Miroku. What you did was a really shitty thing, even if I know you meant it for all the right reasons."

Kagome turned on her heel and jogged towards the house.

Inuyasha listened for the click of the door's lock. Normally, at this point, he would run home. Instead, the half-demon simply stood there, taking in the silence of the forest surrounding him and wondering how someone so small and human could break him down without even a fight.

* * *

He didn't feel any better in the morning.

In fact, considering where he was, everything was much worse. This was a terrible idea.

Inuyasha stood along the treeline, ears pricked forward as he tried to make a decision. It wasn't a big deal. The half-demon repeatedly said it over and over in his brain, but for some reason it wasn't computing. It _felt_ like a big deal. He didn't–

A familiar click sounded and then a door opened and closed. Closing his eyes, Inuyasha pressed his mouth together and made a decision. Just– He just did what he wanted to do. The half-demon stepped outside of the treeline, no longer in the shadow of trees from the early morning sun. He knew, even without opening his eyes, that she saw.

Inuyasha heard her coming towards him before he saw. When he did though, there was a look of worry in her face, expression clearly concerned.

He did _not_ want to do this anymore. What a _stupid_ decision.

"What's going on?" Kagome asked. "Don't tell me another demon showed up."

For a brief moment, Inuyasha almost wished it was true. He shook his head, taking the moment to figure out what he was going to say. He hadn't planned for it, which was dumb because it had been all he thought about all night, barely able to sleep. "No demon," he answered finally. The concern didn't really leave her face though, which meant there was more he had to say. "You're going for a run, right?"

Kagome looked down at herself, at the leggings and running shoes and the branded sports top she was wearing. She gave him a funny look. "Yeah, probably for a bit."

"Come on then." He turned around and stared at the forest trail, at the well-worn dirt path. The run wouldn't do him any good but maybe it would calm down whatever part of himself couldn't let this go. How slow did humans run? Sango was pretty fast but if Kagome ran a lot, it was probably at least similar. He started to jog.

Kagome caught up to him almost instantly, a strange expression on her face. "You're running with me?"

Inuyasha snorted. "I wouldn't call this running."

"Fine, prodding along with me then. Maybe it's just me but–"

"Do you want to run in the forest again, or not?" The question snapped out of him, angrier than he meant it to be. The whole thing was just frustrating, in part because he knew the girl wouldn't let it go without an answer. The other part – the _worst_ part – was that he didn't get why doing something as trivial as this felt right. Like he should be doing it. Like he should be spending time with a priestess that could potentially purify him, or whatever.

At least they were outside. Kagome still smelled the way she always did – this potent kind of energy, something far too good that he couldn't name – but with the forest it was easier to ignore.

It was then that he realized the brown-eyed girl never responded. Briefly, he glanced over, taking her in. She was staring up ahead, body loose and relaxed. Her footsteps never faltered and her heartbeat was steady, a constant _thump=thump, thump-thump_ that remained on an even keel. The pace she set wasn't slow either; it wasn't fast by any means, but if she could continue for the whole run, she may even be better than Sango. And that was–

Interesting.

Inuyasha rolled his eyes at himself.

The run only took about thirty minutes and they were back at the treeline, gazing at her house only a short distance away. Kagome slowed down to a walk, face red and slightly sweaty, tiny droplets hanging around her temples. She grinned at him though, bouncing from side to side as if to stay warm. "I've missed this."

Inuyasha couldn't help but give her an odd look. "Running in the forest?"

"Yeah." Kagome's expression didn't falter. "The forest changes everything."

And that– The statement sounded dumb but the half-demon knew exactly what she meant.

"Thanks for running with me," she continued. "Hope it wasn't too boring for you."

"It's fine." _It wasn't boring_. Inuyasha didn't dare say that though.

"Good." For a moment, she just looked at him, like she was trying to decide what to do or say next. Inuyasha didn't have a clue. None of this even made sense to him. The idea just hit him out of the blue last night, while he was desperately trying to find sleep. "Well, I've got to get back. Mom needs some help today cleaning but–" She paused, then laughed a little, surprised at herself. "This was actually fun. Thanks again." She waved at him and ran back home.

Her heartbeat – that _thump=thump, thump-thump_ he was learning all too well – was steady.

Maybe he'd come back tomorrow.

* * *

 **Responses to Anon Reviews:**

Nookie Nookie: Aw darling, thank you so much! I'm so glad that you're enjoying this little story of mine. I try really hard to avoid mistakes (still happens but oh well!) and honestly, this is probably the most thought-out story I've had in a while. Can't have any loopholes when you have 3 major story arcs and about 12 subplots planned... Thank you!

Hello: Oh no! I must have accidentally removed the link. I'll put it back up :)

Wolfsmaid: Thank you dear! As always, I truly appreciate your kind words. You're wonderful.

Sos: Ha! That happens with me sometimes. Sorry about the extra delay on this one but I hope it was worth it!

Hello: Not sure if you're the same as the other 'hello' but I hope you enjoyed the update dear!

Anon for Now: Wow thank you! I've tried really hard to come up with an actual plot this time, not just a romance-focused and romance-driven fic. So I'm super happy you like it. Hopefully the rest of the story does the plan justice!

Ruch: Thank you dear! That's so sweet of you :)

Wakai: Thank you so much! Hope this chapter was as good as you hoped!

Draggon1: I'm so happy! Thank you!

Mal: AH! I'm so glad you think so. I have so many plans and I'm really just nervous sometimes that not enough is translating over to make the story exciting. I'm so happy you think so. You're always so amazingly supportive. What would I do without you?!

Nyx: How did you exams go?! I hope they went super well. Sorry I couldn't update again during the season (which is probably good for some people who didn't want a distraction and bad if you did!) Hope you liked the chapter darling. Thank you!

Guest: I'm so glad you liked the fight scene. They're really not that easy to write so I'm glad my movie-like thoughts that play in my head actually come out on the page okay. I truly appreciate your thoughts dear, you're too kind. Thank you!

Anonymous: YES! THIS COMMENT RIGHT HERE. You keep that in mind, darling. I'm SO glad you disagree. It's all a part of my master plan.

Anonymous (AH ARE THERE TWO OF YOU?!): I love how so many of you are jumping on the Shikon no Tama being inside of Kagome. What a great theory. WHO KNOWS IF IT IS TRUE?! (HA, let's not lie, we all know).

* * *

 **You guys blow me away constantly. I'm so honoured and grateful for you all. Thank you, thank you, thank you.**

 **As always, feedback is love.**


	7. Chapter 7

**Author's Note:** I was doing really, really well until one of these scenes decided it would be a lot more fun if I re-wrote it ten times.

* * *

 **That Flesh of Mine**

 **Chapter Seven**

 _Walking out of time, looking for a better place. Something's on my mind, always in my headspace. But I know someday I'll make it out of here, even if it takes all night or a hundred years. Need a place to hide but I can't find one near. Wanna feel alive, outside I can't fight my fear. Isn't it lovely, all alone? Heart made of glass, my mind of stone. Tear me to pieces: skin to bone. Hello, welcome home._

 _(Lovely, Billie Eilish ft. Khalid)_

* * *

"Kagome."

Snapping her head up, she tried not to cringe at the view of her mother standing in the doorway. For her part, she didn't look mad or upset or anything. Kagome couldn't fathom how, not with everything that had been going on lately. It boggled her mind that the demon slaying wasn't written all over her face, that her mother didn't take one look at her and just _know_.

"Is it time to set the table?" she asked, putting down her journal and crawling to the edge of her bed. She had been trying to organize her life, which was basically laughable. How was it possible to balance her friends and demon slaying, all without making her mother suspicious?

It wasn't possible.

"In a few minutes would be great." Her mom watched her for a moment, shoulder leaning on the doorframe. Kagome tried not to tense up, tried to appear calm and relaxed. Yesterday, her mother hadn't said anything about the duration of her run in the forest, but she clearly knew something was up. That thought was proven within seconds, as her mom tightened her lips before sighing and asking, "Are you okay?"

To say yes and give nothing at all would be wrong. Kagome didn't want to lie, not anymore than she already was. Looking down at her bedspread, Kagome took a deep breath. What could she even say? _I smashed a skull in with a rock the other day. Don't worry, it was an actual skull and not some living person's. It was to save my friend, who is half-demon and half-human. He's kind of a dick but I'm pretty sure that's because he doesn't know what social interaction looks like._

"I am," she started with, looking up just in time to catch the briefest flicker of disappointment on her mother's face. It was quickly gone, because her mom was always trying to be strong. Kagome remembered how quick the tears would disappear when she was little and couldn't sleep, and she walked in on her mother crying quietly in the living room by herself. "I'm just… Overwhelmed, I guess."

Her mom frowned and walked closer to her. She didn't hesitate to sit down on the bed with her, soft brown eyes taking her in. "Is it school, still?"

"A bit." Mostly not though, because the most stressful part of school now was trying to get all of her homework done before class. "There's a lot going on with my friends." She tried not to wince as she said it, because this was more or less a lie. It might help though, Kagome thought, as the rest of the words came flowing out. "I love them but they keep pestering me about Hojo and I'm just not interested."

Her mother already knew about Hojo, about how the boy from her class had a crush on her that Kagome had no idea how to deal with. Nodding, her mom asked, "Is this why you're spending more time with Sango?"

No, definitely not. Instead of saying it out loud though, Kagome shrugged. "Maybe."

Sighing, her mom rubbed at her back. "You should talk to them about it, sweetie. They're your friends."

"Yeah," she breathed out.

"I know it's hard sometimes to talk to someone you like and tell them why they're making you sad or uncomfortable, but they need to know. And I'm worried about you. You're running way too much. You've lost weight." Kagome hadn't really noticed, which was kind of strange. She frowned and her mother smiled gently, brushed the bangs from her face. "Talk to them and if you really can't, then please talk to me, okay?"

"Okay Mom," Kagome answered. There was a lump in her throat, making it hard to swallow. She could feel the tingle of anxiety slide a slow crawl down into her chest. She took a few deep breaths as subtly as she could before forcing a smile. "Should I set the table and get Grandpa?"

"Probably," her mom mused, standing up and straightening her skirt. "And I should check on Sota to make sure he hasn't wandered from making dinner."

The two of them went downstairs towards the kitchen, her mom pleasantly surprised when Sota showed off his salad making skills. Kagome grabbed the cutlery and plates and set the table quickly. She headed towards the living room, finding her grandfather shaking his head at the television. Again.

"You should stop watching that," Kagome said, unable to stop the small smile that was making its way onto her face. Even as her entire world flipped upside down, her grandfather would always, always be angering himself by watching the news. "It can't be good for your health."

"Well I'm still living so it can't be that bad." Her grandfather gave her an unimpressed look and waved a hand at the TV. "This world? It's crazy."

"More than you think," Kagome mumbled, low under her breath.

Her grandfather went on, clearly not hearing her. "Just a week ago some kid stole almost thirty thousand dollars because of some internet thing! A scam!" He looked at her, aghast, his grey bushy eyebrows lifted in surprise. "And the other day, some guy came back from the dead! Everyone thought he died but _no_. Trapped on some island apparently. Needed to save up money to get back. What kind of world do we live in?"

Kagome patted his shoulder sympathetically. "One where it's time for dinner. Come on, before Mom gets mad."

"Your mother never gets mad," her grandfather replied, shaking his head. "That woman is better than a saint."

Kagome imagined for a moment what it would be like, telling her mom exactly what was happening. How she was attacked by a demon in the woods and saved by a silver-haired half-demon with golden eyes. How it turned out demons were real and there were slayers, too, meant to kill them and protect the people who lived oblivious to them. How she was a priestess, with superpowers that could destroy a demon with one shot. Would her mother accept it? Would her mother call a doctor and get her treated for insanity?

It was so hard to see either of them play out.

One thing was for sure though; her mother couldn't know yet. Unless she had evidence, something solid and tangible that she could give her mother, the battle wouldn't be worth the outcome. She needed to learn more, understand why this was all happening and how to fight it. Maybe once Sango and Miroku gave her more training, enough that she could see the signs, then she could tell her mother. That way, if she was never allowed to go out with her friends again, Kagome could still protect her family.

Her mom and Sota were already seated, chatting about something that sounded suspiciously like soccer again. Her grandfather sat down with a huff and demanded the potatoes right off the bat. Slowly, Kagome joined them and simply watched.

Lying wasn't ideal but right now, it was the only way to go. To keep her family safe, if nothing else.

It would be worth it.

* * *

Things had gotten…weird.

The moment she stepped outside of the door, her dark eyes scanned the treeline of the forest. She wasn't able to stop herself. It was disconcerting, how seeing him made her as confused as the days before, but also relieved. It meant that she could run in the forest.

It also meant that she spent more time with a half-demon Kagome was sure barely tolerated her.

Walking towards the forest, she did what she normally did. Sticking to routine was always best, now more than ever since her mother was keeping a watchful eye out. Ever since that talk in her bedroom, things between her and her mom had been different. Not necessarily bad, but definitely different. Her mother was a smart woman; she knew something was up.

That something was standing before her now, golden eyes as intense as ever and scowl firmly in place. The guy seriously needed to learn to relax a little.

"Morning," Kagome murmured. She didn't pause at all, simply flowed from a walk to a light jog. This was their third day of running together. Day three of Inuyasha barely saying more than a few words. Day three of the half-demon barely looking at her. Day three of him still coming back, over and over, to run in the forest with a human that was significantly slower than him. Kagome had no idea what was going on.

Pretty quickly, Kagome picked up the pace. Running with Inuyasha made her want to move faster than she was used to, pushing her to run harder. It helped her to focus, to drive away errant thoughts that weren't helping her any and focus instead on what she needed. One of those thoughts was of Sango and remembering how strange the girl had been yesterday. When Kagome had gone to school on Monday, the magenta-eyed girl had given her a tight smile and moved away. She seemed upset. Neither she, nor Miroku, were sitting at their usual table during lunch. It was enough to worry her. Exhaling sharply before slowly inhaling, Kagome glanced over at the half-demon beside her. He would know, wouldn't he?

Later, though. Kagome took another deep breath and started to run a little faster, letting her mind focus instead on her breathing, on the pounding of her feet and the tiredness in her quads. Her eyes continually searched through the trees but she wasn't scared. Inuyasha would hear long before she did; he would know if they were in danger.

The usual running path took around thirty minutes, but recently it'd taken a lot less. She used the excuse in her mind to slow as they started to approach what she knew was the treeline up ahead, their run almost finished and her house almost back in sight. Inuyasha frowned and looked at her, confused.

"I have a question," Kagome said, finally slowing to a walk. She was trying to get a better handle on her breathing; she'd run too fast, again.

"About what?" The half-demon's eyes narrowed. Unlike her, he didn't continue to pace a little, keeping the muscles loose. Inuyasha simply watched her, body tense like she was about to attack him. It made absolutely no sense at all.

Kagome sighed. "Sango. She's been acting weird and I can barely find her and Miroku at school. Did something happen that you didn't tell me about?" For a long minute, Inuyasha stared. Was he trying to be intimidating? Kagome refused to back down, but she honestly didn't think that was the case. It almost looked like he was trying to figure something out, something that would affect how he answered her, maybe. Either way, it made him just as confusing as he always was.

"I had to tell her," Inuyasha replied finally, uncrossing his arms but clenching his hands.

Kagome furrowed her brow, perplexed. Then, "You told her about when you were all…" She waved a hand at him, unsure of the exact words to say. Demonic?

The half-demon snarled back. "No," he replied emphatically. "Not– No, I told her about the bear demon."

Once he said it, Kagome was finally able to connect the dots. When they had been facing Yura, she told them the bear demon was basically no more than a puppet. That meant while it had been the one to kill Sango's family–

"Someone else wanted them all dead, to get them out of the way for some sort of takeover." Inuyasha's voice interrupted her thoughts, saying what she now knew. "Sango's not taking it well."

His face, in the moment, was the most expressive she'd ever seen it. He was grimacing, looking down at the ground. Kagome understood, at least a little. To know that someone wanted your family dead, that someone planned to take you all out… She couldn't fathom it. The thought of her mother, brother and grandfather dying at the hands of some demon, with their red eyes staring at– "Yeah," Kagome murmured, roughly, trying to shake herself out of it.

Inuyasha opened his mouth, as if to say more, but he turned his head sharply to the side, ears twitching in the direction of her house. "I think your mom's outside."

Probably waiting to see Kagome come back running. Her mom hadn't done that since she first started running in the forest, worried about her getting lost. "I have to go, then. I'll see you later?"

The silver-haired teen gave her that look again, like he was on the brink of saying something. He didn't though; Inuyasha merely nodded his head and waved a half-assed salute.

He didn't run away though. Kagome noticed that he never ran away first.

* * *

Other than the ominous statement that something – _some demon_ – was coming, there was nothing terrifying that happened over the next few days. The hardest thing had been getting in touch with Sango, trying to find the girl in the mess of students when they didn't have any classes together. After Inuyasha's words, Kagome figured she probably just needed a friend, someone to talk to her about regular, boring stuff. The chance of the magenta-eyed girl opening up to her about her family was slim-to-none, but Kagome figured she could give her that, at least.

It also gave her the excuse to run away from Yuka, who purposely took a long time getting ready after gym class because _Hojo_ always took a long time. And her friend, always the opportunist, loved to try and put them together.

"I'll see you after school!" Kagome called, shouldering her bag and taking out her hair tie.

Yuka looked up at her, barely dressed and highly confused. "What? What about lunch?"

"I promised to have lunch with Sango. I'll see you!"

She flew out of there and found the girl at her locker. Today she looked okay, less bags under her eyes and more colour in her cheeks. She still seemed weighted though. Kagome wanted to try and help, even if just a little. "Hey!"

Sango looked at her sharply, surprise briefly flashing on her face before she smiled. "Hey, how are you?"

"Good," Kagome breathed out, brushing a hand through her bangs. She was still a little sweaty and she was trying not to think about it. "Are you and Miroku going to have lunch?"

"Yeah." Sango nodded and then narrowed her eyes slightly. "Is something going on? Did something happen?"

This was the _opposite_ of what she wanted. Kagome laughed, feeling slightly manic. Why was making friends so hard sometimes? She and Sango seemed to get along, once the girl accepted her presence with demon slaying. But they still barely knew anything about each other. It was hard, especially since she'd been best friends with Yuka, Eri and Ayumi since they were tiny kids. "No! No, not at all. It's nice and quiet. I was just seeing if you wanted to have lunch together? With Miroku, obviously."

To her credit, Sango didn't even look suspicious. The smile grew back on her face and she nodded. "Sure. We've been eating outside the last few days since it's so nice out."

And it was good. Kagome realized that Sango was pretty funny when she was relaxing. It made something settle then, some kind of peace that Kagome didn't know she needed. She didn't look into it too closely though, choosing instead to embrace it. There were no demons coming into Sakura, her best friends were fine, her new friends were great, and everything was okay.

On Friday, Kagome ignored Yuka's odd look when she left the gym to go and have lunch with Sango and Miroku again. She had lunch with the other girls the rest of the week, listening to Eri go on about what Halloween costume she was going to buy and if she should come up with some sort of theme for the charity dance in November. It seemed so…normal and Kagome didn't feel like that some days, even with the lack of demonic attacks in the town.

When she arrived at the spot where Miroku and Sango were eating – the bleachers of the football field, shaded by a nearby tree – she listened to the magenta-eyed girl's giggle as Miroku waved his arms around, clearly pleased. "I'm not lying!" he insisted. "She actually grabbed at my cheek like I was a five year-old boy. _This_ is why I make you do the grocery shopping."

"People grab your cheeks in the grocery store?" Kagome asked, sliding to sit down on the opposite side of Sango. She pointedly never sat between them, mainly because she didn't want to see Miroku's sad eyes in her direction ever again.

"Mrs. Ohta does!" Miroku shuddered dramatically, grinning hugely when Sango burst into laughter again. "She's this eighty year-old woman who once worked at this after-school program Sango and I used to go to. I ran into her at the store and it was _terrible_."

"It couldn't have been that bad," Sango said, wiping at her eyes with a smile still firmly on her face. "She was nice! I remember her."

Miroku sighed and shook his head. "You don't understand. Once she saw me I couldn't escape. I had to sit through a twenty-minute conversation about how her grandson was back in town after he'd been overseas 'searching for himself' for the last few years. Apparently, he'd seen so many churches in Europe it convinced him to re-establish his connections to the family. Blah, blah, so on and so forth. Honestly, she talked forever and all I wanted was to pick up some tomatoes. How hard is that?"

"Obviously it's difficult," Kagome replied, leaning over to shove at his shoulder.

"Hey Miroku!" An unfamiliar female voice came from the side and Kagome swiveled her head to see some beautiful girl approaching, big brown eyes blinking up at them. Well, up at Miroku. "Are you coming to class today or what?" So she was in Miroku's grade then, a year older. Kagome quickly glanced in Sango's direction and noticed her friend picking at her nails, eyes firmly lowered.

"You say that like I never go to class," Miroku replied, tone as carefree as it always was. Kagome bit the inside of her cheek, surprised that he hadn't noticed the way Sango acted the moment the other girl came around. Was he oblivious or was there a lot more going on that she didn't know about? It seemed pretty clear to her that Miroku and Sango liked each other but they also clearly weren't dating.

Considering how much she _hated_ Yuka and Eri putting their noses into her love life, Kagome very firmly wasn't going to comment on theirs. Just watch from the sidelines, maybe.

The girl laughed and smiled, waving at Miroku. "I'll see you later!"

"Bye Koharu." Miroku turned back to their group and tapped on Sango's knee. The girl looked up, brow raised in question. "So promise me," he said suddenly, "that from now on you'll do the grocery shopping."

Rolling her eyes, Sango barked out a laugh before punching him in the shoulder. "I hate you, you know that?"

"You _love_ me."

"You wish."

Kagome's eyes went from one to the other, back and forth and back and forth through their conversation. Yeah, she would definitely be watching from the sidelines.

* * *

Shooting a gun really wasn't the same thing as shooting with her bow. Kagome couldn't _feel_ it, not the tension or the effort that came with trying to aim and point correctly. She figured that to an extent, guns were better: faster, simpler, easier. If her life depended on it, then a gun was probably always going to be the better option.

She still didn't like it.

"Your aim is really improving," Sango said, leaning against the wooden half-wall and studying her. "Considering how little you've been at this, you've gotten much better."

"Thanks." Kagome slid on the safety and managed to barely hesitate as she unloaded the weapon, making sure to remove the bullet in the chamber. She was still clumsy and slow, nowhere near the efficiency that the magenta-eyed girl was at. "It just feels weird."

Sango snorted and shook her head, amused more than she should be. "You're too good with a bow. It's making the process stranger for you than someone who's never picked up a weapon before. But you're a faster learner; it's pretty obvious. Miroku was shit at it for a long time."

"I heard that," Miroku grunted, somewhere behind them. Kagome had no idea what he was doing.

"It's nothing you don't know," Sango shot back and then gave the smallest of smiles, a glint in her eye. It was harder to pull a grin out of her and Kagome was almost shocked to know that she could _tell_. But the girl still wasn't alright, not with the knowledge of what truly happened to her family. Kagome wondered if she ever would be.

Miroku came over to them, sweat glistening at his temples. It was hot for autumn, even with the sun starting it's slow decent on the horizon. He also leaned on the half-wall, wiping a hand across his forehead and then grabbing at Sango's face. Her indignant squawk echoed in the trees. So too did the loud smack she delivered on his arm. "Ow! Hey!"

"You knew exactly what you were doing," Sango accused, narrowing her eyes.

"Maybe," Miroku replied, waggling his eyebrows. "Maybe not. There's only one way to actually know." And without any hesitation, he grabbed her face and rubbed his cheek on her, likely getting all of his sweat all over her. Sango's scream was much louder and filled with curses but the blue-eyed teen was already shoving her away and running as fast as he could.

Kagome watched with raised eyebrows, trying her best not to judge. It was honestly baffling how they were so close and so attached and not…anything else. Or maybe, she wondered, they were already too much to each other.

There was a soft whiff behind her, like the gentle rustling of fabric. She could feel her body tense all over but forced herself to relax a moment later. Kagome knew who it was, even without looking. "Did you want to bet on who wins?"

Inuyasha stepped up beside her, arms crossed and golden eyes intent on his friends. He was as impassive as ever. It used to intimidate her, irritate her, set her on edge – all of it. Now, though, after almost a week of running with him in the mornings, it didn't do anything but settle her. The half-demon was his usual self and something about that was comforting.

With the world turning upside down, any hint of normalcy was apparently enough.

"You should be training," Inuyasha said suddenly, his voice a low rumble and in complete contrast to Miroku's and Sango's screams.

"Kind of hard when the trainers are doing…" Kagome waved a hand at them, unsure what to call it. " _That_."

The half-demon slid his gaze towards her, the barest tilt of his head. "We'll train. Grab your bow."

For a moment, Kagome did nothing but blink at him. He didn't seem to mind, walking over to the fenced-off area and leaping over the wood. It was when he looked at her, something like impatience on his face that she started to move and gather what she needed. She climbed over the fence, far more graceful than the very first time, and set up.

Inuyasha paced to the other side of the arena, hands clenching and unclenching. He seemed to be considering something.

"What did you want to do?" she asked, unable to take his silence for much longer. She was as ready as she was going to be.

"Same thing we always do," Inuyasha replied. "But this time, I'm not going to slow it down."

Kagome frowned. While she'd been training for a while now with them, she was pretty sure that she was nowhere near good enough or fast enough for what he suggested. Inuyasha's inhuman speed was incredible, and even with him holding back, getting shots off at him were too difficult. "I'm not ready for that."

"Too bad," Inuyasha responded. The crack of his knuckles was far too loud. "Something is coming to Sakura and we don't have time to take baby steps."

They were _hardly_ baby steps. Kagome opened her mouth to say as much when all of a sudden, the half-demon started to run towards her. It was as shocking as it was meant to be and the moment he was in her face, she took three steps back before stumbling onto her butt.

Inuyasha scowled. "What was _that_?"

"I wasn't ready!" Kagome yelled, pushing herself back up. "It's bad enough–" But the words were lost the moment the half-demon lunged at her. This time, she whacked at him with her bow and spun on her heel. She was readying for a strike but she felt a hand on her neck, loosely wrapped around.

Inuyasha growled, "Dead."

Letting out a frustrated groan, Kagome struggled to break his hold. She glared at him, barely getting any space as his hand fell away. "We both know if I'm this close to a demon, I'm already a goner."

"Then get the fuck away," Inuyasha snapped back. When he swiped at her, Kagome spun backwards and then feinted, just enough to give her an extra second of space. Inuyasha was too quick though, never thrown off for long, so Kagome fired off a shot before she could think about it. There was barely any aim, little thought, but the arrow grazed his arm and slit the t-shirt sleeve. The half-demon looked down at it, considering.

Kagome could feel herself panting, chest heaving as the adrenaline rushed through her. When Inuyasha looked up, his golden eyes unwavering, she forced a smile. "Next time I won't miss."

"Doubt it." Inuyasha crouched down and then leapt, high into the air. Kagome readied her bow and arrow, dark eyes trying to track him. He was lost to her within seconds, the trees far too thick with leaves to give his location away.

"You're the one running away," Kagome called out, ears straining for something, _anything_.

There was a whoosh of air – again, right behind her – and Kagome let out an involuntary scream as she whipped around. Before he could touch her, she let an arrow fly, one that completely missed the mark but at least made Inuyasha shift slightly. He was still far too close for comfort so she used her bow like a sword, slashing it at him as she tried to step backwards, arm reaching for the quiver strapped to her back. It was too much though, her thoughts too wild as Inuyasha made another move towards her. She grabbed an arrow just as she lost her balance, body hitting the ground and legs shooting upwards in a roll. It wasn't intentional and Kagome was almost dizzy with it when she could feel the half-demon hovering. She jabbed the arrow towards him, too little force to make any impact.

Inuyasha backed away, his ears twitching to the side and head tilted. He was studying her, clearly, though part of his focus was obviously attached to his friends deeper in the forest.

"What? Did they want to stop?" Kagome asked, knowing he was listening in to them. They could be saying things that her human ears couldn't pick up.

Inuyasha actually started to grimace. "No." His ears swivelled to face her. "But that wasn't terrible. We'll break it down, give you more strategic points of attack. From far away, you're safe. But you need more leverage than falling on your ass and hoping for the best if a demon's up close."

"Not terrible," she repeated, feeling indignant and horrified all at once. She was by no means a perfectionist but being good with a bow and arrow was almost a _part_ of her.

Inuyasha raised a brow, challenge clear in his gaze. "Will you actually hit me this time?"

"What if–" Kagome bit her lip, stopped the question from forming fully. What if she actually hit him though? Last time she shot an arrow at a demon, the thing burst into pink light and disappeared. Purified. What would happen to Inuyasha if she didn't miss?

The silver-haired teen stared at her but when it was clear she wasn't going to finish the question, he rolled his eyes. "Are you ready, or what?"

Too late to back down. Kagome took a deep breath as Inuyasha separated himself a bit, going to the other end to give her time to prepare. She readied an arrow, poised to raise it. When he ran, she fired and missed. She dodged two of his attacks before he hit her with his palm to her shoulder, sending her to the ground. The impact stole the breath out of her temporarily but when she started to get back up, Inuyasha held out his hand.

Kagome stared at it for a second before taking it. She was pretty positive the half-demon had never, ever offered her such a gesture before, even with all of their training.

"This is where you went wrong. Hold up your bow and reach for your quiver." Inuyasha showed her the breakdown of his movement and how all of it coincided with her own. It was slow, almost painful work. Inuyasha was relentless, refusing to slow down even after the tenth time he'd forced her to the ground in a flurry of movement. Every part of her was sore and tired but Kagome found herself getting up all the same, nodding along as he spoke and asking questions when he wasn't explaining something right, too caught up in the quickness of his movements to really give her a good idea.

Before she knew it, darkness had fallen. They trained until Kagome couldn't see any longer, her limbs heavy and tired from the repetition. Still, when Inuyasha nodded at her approvingly, his face holding less impassivity than before, she couldn't help but feel good. This was progress. This was her getting better.

This was her getting stronger for her family.

At the thought, her stomach dropped completely, leaving her feeling incredibly shaky. "What time is it?" Because it was dark, and she had stupidly promised her mother that she wouldn't be out that late. Why should she be? Even though it was Saturday, she was just at Sango's house to 'study.' To 'prepare for a project' in their not-actually-shared literacy class. And all her mother asked of her, just for tonight, was to not be late so they could plan dinner for her grandfather's birthday tomorrow.

Inuyasha frowned, looking confused. "Almost nine? I don't know."

And it was very nearly textbook, how her body just tingled all over with fear. Fear of disappointing her mother, again, all because she couldn't talk to her. The nausea on her face must have been clear to see, or maybe Inuyasha just heard the way her heartbeat was ratcheting higher, breaths a little harder to take in. Or let out. The way she was shaking on the exhale made her turn around sharply, climb the fence in an uncoordinated rush of limbs. She practically fell on the other side, the lump in her throat growing more noticeable.

Her mother was going to be so upset. Kagome could imagine it, the look in her soft brown eyes. She wouldn't yell, or scream, or demand to know what Kagome was doing. She would ask, kindly, and Kagome would give her only lies in return.

Her stomach felt like lead.

"I need you to take me home, please," Kagome said, words too rushed to be a normal request. She put the bow away and made sure to properly sort the arrows in the quiver. She didn't have time to put it all away and she'd text Sango later to apologize. She spun around, eyes catching the half-demon watching her closely, arms once again crossed. This time, his impassive face didn't comfort her at all. It almost made it worse.

"Please," she repeated.

"Don't you have stuff in the house?" Inuyasha asked. Kagome blanched, remembering that she did and she'd have to go back to get it. How much more time would it all take?

"Shit," she muttered, body already turning because she had to go _right now_. At this point, it shouldn't really matter. An extra twenty minutes on top of an hour wasn't going to make things any worse. But it didn't feel like that. It didn't register in her brain, not with anxiety clawing its way into her bones.

There was a hold on her wrist suddenly, warmth she didn't expect. "It's just your backpack, right?" the half-demon asked.

Kagome didn't really understand why he needed to know but she nodded anyways, still poised to keep walking, when all of the sudden her wrist was free as a gust of air told her that he was gone.

Oh.

Slowing to a stop, Kagome stared in the direction of the house. She forced a swallow, absentmindedly grabbing at her wrist.

Inuyasha was getting it for her. To be faster.

He hadn't even asked why.

When he came back, he tossed her the backpack to put on and crouched down low. Kagome got on, wrapping her arms around his neck and expecting the jolt as the half-demon burst into a run. When he leapt into the air, pushing off of the trees to avoid obstacles below, she didn't scream. She didn't panic. There was too much already on her mind, too many thoughts swirling around in her head.

When they touched down at the treeline and Kagome slid off, she took one look at her house and tried not to feel like she wanted to puke. She didn't even know if her mother noticed, didn't know how upset she'd be. Maybe it would be totally fine. Kagome wouldn't know until she got into the house.

"You need to breathe."

Kagome inhaled, barely realizing until she did it that she'd been holding her breath. What a stupid thing to do.

"Kagome."

And that got her attention. The sound of her name coming from his lips made her stomach swoop, that feeling of incredulousness and shock. It was the first time he'd said her name to her.

No. The second. Kagome remembered him screaming it during the battle with Yura.

"Just breathe," Inuyasha said, almost sternly. He was looking at some point over her shoulder, not directly at her, and after a whole evening of his undivided attention it seemed…weird.

But she needed to go. "Thank you," she whispered, holding the straps of her backpack tighter. "Tell them I'm sorry for disappearing."

The half-demon made a face at her and for the life of her, she couldn't figure out what it meant. "Sure," was all said though. It would have to be enough.

Kagome waved at him and started to jog towards the house. She had to walk around it to enter through the front, trying her best to peer around to make sure her mother wasn't looking through a window. When it seemed all clear, she burst in, out of breath and not sure if she should be hiding it or not. "I'm so sorry!" she called out. If anything, she learned from Sota what not to do when arriving late.

Her mother was in the front hallway almost immediately. She didn't seem unhappy but there was definitely a tightness around her eyes, concern that lingered even in the presence of her. "Did you see my messages? What happened?"

Kagome hadn't even checked. Her cell phone was still in her bag. "I'm so sorry, I just completely lost track of time and then when I realized, I raced over here." Taking off her backpack, Kagome went through the pockets until she found her phone. One missed call. Three unread text messages.

"Who drove you?"

"Sango's guardian," Kagome replied instantly. Her mom didn't know Mushin, so it wasn't exactly a risk. She'd given the same lie before. "He's also kind of a slow driver, so that didn't help."

Lies, lies, lies.

Her mother came closer, brushed at her bangs like she always did. "You said you'd be home sooner," she stated, not quite an accusation, but obviously said.

"We just got really into it." Kagome sighed and rubbed at her face. "I lost track of time."

And she could tell that her mother wanted to say more. She wanted to press, to ask, to state that it wasn't like her. Because it wasn't, not until recently when the reality of demons entered her life. The shift was noticeable.

"Did you want tea?" Kagome asked suddenly, trying to come up with anything that would get her mom to sit down with her and talk. Something that would make her mom believe that she wasn't lying, she wasn't trying to purposefully undermine her requests.

"I already made some," she answered. And that alone, that simple response, was enough to make her stomach do that heavy splatter again, anxiety crawling its way up out of it. Her mother hadn't even said it unkindly. "There should still be some hot water though, if you want a cup?"

"Please," Kagome breathed out, thankful for the tiny lifeline.

She said hello to her half-awake grandfather in the living room before sitting in the kitchen with her mom. The tea was fine, a little cool but not disgusting. It just didn't taste right though, or maybe it was simply difficult to enjoy when everything felt so off-kilter.

Was it actually off-kilter? Was her mother actually upset, or was Kagome just imagining it?

Her feelings were valid, but that didn't make them _right_.

And when she went to bed, barely remembering to send a group text to Sango and Miroku, Kagome took long and measured breaths as she laid down. She tried to think of something random, a movie or a book.

It wasn't working.

Eventually, her phone vibrated on her nightstand; a text message from Sango was waiting for her. _Don't worry about it. See you Monday!_

Kagome almost wished there was something more to go on, something else she could text. Backing out of the message, she scrolled through some of the past ones from other friends. A message from Ayumi about some homework Mr. Ogata assigned. A message in the group chat with Yuka, Eri and Ayumi about the Halloween party they wanted to go to. A message from Miroku telling her where they were for lunch.

Even further down was the somewhat hilarious message of _Here_. Shortly followed by a more aggressive: _HERE._ Biting her lip, Kagome clicked on the white bubble to write a message. She paused, realizing that this would be the first time she ever texted him and not either of the other two. It was also unprompted, for no reason other than Kagome needed her mind distracted elsewhere.

 _Thanks again for the quick ride back_ , she typed out. _I appreciate it_.

And then, a few seconds later after some more hesitation: _I remembered to breathe._

Putting the phone back on her nightstand, facedown, Kagome focused on her last bit of training. She thought of the moves they practiced, the way he was teaching her to purposely roll back with an arrow at the ready to stab. How she could spin and prepare to shoot simultaneously, hitting her mark with a practiced focus.

It took a long time but eventually, slowly, Kagome fell asleep.

When she woke up, there was a single text message waiting for her: _Good_.

* * *

Her mother looked at her strangely, now.

Not meanly. Kagome knew her mom and there was nothing in her body language to suggest that she didn't trust her. But–

She was worried. Pretty worried, going by the way her mom intentionally asked about her day, and how her friends were, and if they were still bothering her about Hojo. She made a point of saying goodnight and smiling that same, calming smile that always put Kagome at ease. In return, Kagome tried her best to act normal, as if she didn't know demons were in the world. She followed the steps that past-Kagome took: going to school, hanging out with friends, archery on Thursdays, Sunday dinners with the family.

But still.

Her mother looked at her strangely, now. Kagome felt the weight of it like a hundred bricks balancing on top of her head, crumbling slowly but surely until she made the move that would collapse it all.

* * *

"I miss my bed."

Ayumi gave her a smile and moved her backpack from the table next to her. Kagome sat down in it gratefully, so tired that it still took effort to keep her eyes open. It had been impossible to fall asleep last night. Too much had been going around and around in her brain, with her unable to turn it off. Sometimes, she really hated the way her brain worked, especially on mornings like this.

"Didn't sleep well?" Ayumi asked gently.

"Not at all." Kagome buried her head in her heads just as the morning announcements started to go off. It seemed to drone on forever and when it finished, Mr. Ogata seemed overly chipper. Kagome tried not to groan. Maybe it was just her bad mood.

"All of you will be assigned a chapter to modernize," Mr. Ogata stated part-way through his lecture, beady eyes razor sharp as he overlooked the classroom. "Partner up and line up at my desk. And no, if you have not yet read the full book, you will not get an extension."

Ayumi patted Kagome on the shoulder, prompting her to get up alongside her friend. A few others were already in place, a couple of them grumbling about how SparkNotes wouldn't prepare them for this. Mr. Ogata was speaking with some students on the other side of the room, not even at this desk yet to assign anything. Kagome tried not to sigh.

"Are you coming with us on Saturday to go costume shopping?"

Blinking, Kagome looked at her friend, trying to remember the exact plans. "Yeah, I think so. Do you know what you're going to be yet?"

"I think Yuka's coming up with some big plan." Ayumi shrugged. "You should probably ask her. She's been going on and on about it at lunch."

The words made her freeze a little and Kagome watched her friend, trying to judge. Ayumi wasn't looking at her, instead glancing in the direction of their teacher now finally back at his desk. She hadn't said it angrily. Hadn't made a big deal about it, how Kagome was spending less time with them at lunch and more time with Sango and Miroku. In fact, Ayumi seemed…indifferent. Kagome's mind spun with the possibilities, the what-ifs of Ayumi's sentences and the meanings behind them. She could feel her chest getting tight, something in her throat making swallowing just that tiny bit harder.

But no. Ayumi wouldn't– She wouldn't be mean to Kagome. She never was before and starting now was completely out of character. She didn't mean anything by the statement. Kagome needed to calm down.

Easier said than done.

"I think we're getting in-class time to complete this," Ayumi stated, relatively out of the blue.

Kagome had never felt more grateful for her friend. The tightening in her chest loosened, even if it was only slightly. "Considering Ms. Tanaka only wants to give us homework, that's probably a good thing."

Ayumi winced. "Yeah, Eri was telling me. I had math last semester and it wasn't nearly so bad."

"Ms. Okamoto, Ms. Higurashi," a familiar voice said, not sounding impressed in the least.

"Sorry Mr. Ogata," Ayumi replied instantly, blushing slightly. In their talking, they had fallen a bit behind.

The teacher rubbed at his thinning salt-and pepper hair, eyeing them with his beady gaze. Mr. Ogata wasn't considered the craziest teacher of Sakura High for nothing. "Alright, alright. Let's get you a chapter, shall we? Any preferences?"

"Uh, chapter three?" Kagome asked, distinctly remembering that chapter in the book because it was honestly the only chapter where _anything_ happened.

Mr. Ogata smiled, ticked something off on his piece of paper and then handed them a tiny pink slip. "Then you'll get chapter ten."

Kagome blinked and tried not to show her confusion. Oh well. At least he was nice about it. Ayumi thanked him anyways and as they turned to go back to their desks, a word caught Kagome's eye. She had never really paid attention to Mr. Ogata's desk before. So rarely did she ever go near it and generally, the tabletop had every inch covered with papers and books and photographs. None of it ever caught her attention before. But this bookstack– Kagome paused in her footsteps and looked again, just to make sure.

In the bookstack on his desk there was one– No, _three_. There were three books with the word _demon_ in the title. The one that stood out the most was named _The Encyclopedia of Demonology_. The others were–

"Is there anything else I can assist you with, Ms. Higurashi?" Mr. Ogata's voice was as kind as ever, but something about the question made a shiver run down her spine.

"No, sir," Kagome replied, forcing a smile and retreating as fast as she could back to her desk. Ayumi gave her a strange look but let it slide, pulling out her copy of the book and opening it to the proper chapter.

Schoolwork. Normal schoolwork. She was in school, Kagome reminded herself, trying to catch her breath. There was absolutely nothing sinister here. The books he had? He was their literacy teacher! All he had was books. It was probably a reading for an older grade, or something.

Kagome rubbed at her eyes.

It was nothing.

* * *

It couldn't be nothing.

Or, that's what her brain kept telling her. It was obvious in the way that she couldn't stop thinking about it. Had Mr. Ogata been a demon the whole time, silently preying on people while living amongst them? It sounded ridiculous.

Kagome let out a deep breath and aimed. The simple target was before her at a distance she'd nailed many, many times. This time, though, she couldn't get herself to calm down. In fact, as she let out another shaking breath and released, the arrow barely made the target at all.

"Are…you okay?"

Kagome stared ahead at her arrow, buried deeply into the bottom right corner of the foam board. It was almost like a betrayal.

"Kagome?"

"Sorry," she said, quieter than she planned to. Today was just…not a good day. "I'm not feeling that well."

The redhead beside her made a face, her dark brown eyes assessing. Even though they weren't close, the girl best known as Sen had been doing archery for as long as Kagome had been at the school. She was a senior and generally the only other person that was even close to as good as her. "Hun, you look like you've seen a ghost. You're almost as pale as me."

Kagome cracked a small smile at that, rubbing at her face with her free hand a moment later. "I should probably just go home."

"No shit." Sen took the bow from her gently and gestured towards the target. "Leave it, I'll clean up."

"No, that's not–"

"Jesus, Kagome," Sen breathed out, rolling her eyes. "Go home."

She had to talk to their coach still, but Kagome never missed practice if she could help it and the teacher agreed easily. She left the gym without changing, grabbing her bag and heading towards the front doors. The twenty minute walk home probably wouldn't be enough to calm her down, so a run may be in order. That would only worry her mom though, especially since she was coming home early. This was the last thing she needed, honestly. What kind of excuse could she come up with that wouldn't upset her mom?

Just as she was about to exit, Kagome paused, frowning. The whole reason she felt like this – the anxiety, the fine tremors, the fear that clung to her bones and refused to let go – was all because of her literacy class. When she saw those demon books, her terrible morning turned into a nightmare. And this nightmare? It wouldn't just go away thanks to a hard run.

Kagome turned around and headed back into the school, taking the stairs and keeping an eye out for any lingering teachers or students. Usually this late, there weren't too many people around. Some teachers were still in their classrooms but she silently tiptoed across, making her way back towards her first period room.

If she had any luck at all, Mr. Ogata wouldn't be inside. Kagome took a deep breath and tried to look through the small window in the door. It didn't show her teacher's desk so she had a choice to make: open it and figure shit out, or head home and deal with the fact that her teacher was possibly a human-killing demon.

Grimacing, Kagome turned the doorknob and poked her head inside. Relief crashed through her like a wave at the sight of the completely empty room. She rushed in and shut the door behind her, praying that no one heard and that she'd have at least five minutes to look around and then disappear.

"This is insane," she whispered to herself, mostly because not in a million years would Kagome have ever thought she'd do this; sneaking into a teacher's room after school was one thing but doing so to figure out if he murdered humans for fun was quite another. And how was she even going to determine it? There were no neon signs.

She needed to check out the books. Kagome almost stumbled on her way to the desk, trying to keep the shaking from her hands as she reached for the stack that had caught her attention earlier. _The Encyclopedia of Demonology_ was there, but so too were other relatively random books: _The Sonnets of Michelangelo_ and what looked like a book about teen vampires. She pulled a few off the top, getting the encyclopedia out and checking the book underneath it. In comparison, the book was tiny; the look of a regular novel versus a massive volume. The title of it was enough to make her read the summary which was about an angel and a demon, trying to save the world. Kagome frowned and looked at the cover again. The book didn't look familiar but maybe it was for an older grade? It _did_ have demons in it. Maybe that was why?

The more Kagome went through the books, the more she was convinced that Mr. Ogata was just as weird as everyone thought him to be. There was a book about mops, of all things. At the sight of it, Kagome couldn't help the laughter that bubbled out of her, the heaving of it making her stomach hurt. The whole damn day she'd been nearly bowled over with apprehension and it had turned out to be nothing.

Mr. Ogata wasn't a demon.

Restacking and ensuring everything was back in place, Kagome left the classroom and exited the school. It was close enough to the end of practice that her mother would likely not notice and now, her footsteps didn't feel nearly so weighted. She was fine.

Everything was fine. But the thought wasn't as kind or as comforting as it should have been. All day – _all day_ – she had been freaking out over literally nothing. It had been entirely consuming, ruining her day, and it had been _for nothing._ It just – Kagome let out a heavy breath and ignored the way her shoulders slightly shook. It was so _frustrating_ how crippling her brain could be. It made her angry. It made her wish for a second – and if she was honest with herself sometimes longer – that she was a different person entirely.

Kagome gripped the straps on her gym bag. She inhaled – _two, three, four_ – and exhaled – _two, three, four_. She repeated the process, over and over. She wouldn't go for a run so as not to worry her mother but today–

Well, today just wasn't a good day.

* * *

Inuyasha was there the next morning, just like he'd been there every other morning since he started randomly joining her. Kagome gave him a short wave and a quick greeting, preparing to start her run when the half-demon bodily stepped in front of her. He was blocking her path, brows completely furrowed and a frown heavy on his face.

Kagome closed her eyes and desperately wondered what more she could handle.

"What's wrong with you?" Inuyasha asked, crossing his arms. The question, though rude in structure, wasn't said unkindly. Kagome was a little thrown.

"Nothing's wrong," she answered, making an aborted step forward and doing an awkward shuffle to regain the space between them. Why wasn't he moving? "What are you doing?"

The silver-haired teen narrowed his gaze. The golden orbs were almost eerily bright in the morning sunshine, his gaze determined. "What's _wrong_?" he asked again, each word a firm command.

Rolling her eyes, Kagome crossed her arms too, trying to mimic him. "I'm trying to go for a run and someone's not letting me."

She expected Inuyasha to rise to the bait. The half-demon was nothing if not argumentative, especially with her. It was even more shocking then when all he did was growl a little in retaliation. "I can smell the anxiety wafting off of you like incense. So let's try this again, shall we? What's wrong with you?"

Kagome flinched a little and hated herself for it. "What's _wrong with me_? Do you hear what you're saying?"

This time, Inuyasha looked more than just irritated, the growl building in his throat and growing louder with each passing second. "I'm not here to coddle you, but you fucking smell like a pit of despair and since I already get enough of that from Sango I really don't need it from you too. Last chance, or I'm leaving."

As far as threats went, it was a good one. Kagome felt her chest lurch at the thought of him disappearing, the forest too terrifying still to go alone in. And with everything that was mentally dragging her down – her mom, her friends, the never-ending thought of demons around every corner – Kagome _needed_ to run. She felt like she needed it to function, to simply make it through the day. Inuyasha leaving would be devastating.

"It's–" God, she couldn't talk about this. She was too on-edge already, not enough sleep and too much thinking already straining the last of her control. Her throat was getting tight and fuck, she could feel her eyes burning. She would _not_ cry, not in front of him. That would be the most mortifying, awful thing to have happened all week–

"Why are you _crying_?" Inuyasha exclaimed, hands out like he wanted to touch her but was too afraid to. His face was making an expression she'd never seen before, a sort of wild fear he couldn't mask.

"I'm not crying!" Kagome yelled back, stubbornly refusing to give in. The tears were welling up and she blinked her lids fiercely, unyielding. She would not cry, she would _not_.

"I can smell your tears!"

"Stop _smelling me_!"

"I'm a dog demon and you're oozing chemosignals like it's fucking perfume. It's not my fault!"

Kagome rubbed at her face and took a deep breath, trying to calm down. Inuyasha didn't move, making not a single sound as she gathered the last bits of control she had. She needed a distraction or she really was going to cry. With her voice trembling slightly, Kagome forced herself to ask, "What are chemosignals?"

There was a slight shuffling in the dirt before Inuyasha responded. "It's like if your emotions had a smell," he murmured, almost like it was to himself. "Dogs can sense them too. If your emotion is strong enough, I can smell what you're feeling."

Kagome huffed out a strangled laugh, still refusing to take her hands away from her face. "That's weird and kind of creepy."

"It's not a walk in the park for me," Inuyasha retorted and she could practically hear his eye roll. "I don't– I usually have to know the person really well to figure out exact emotions. Like Miroku and Sango, I can figure out what's going on most of the time. But with a stranger? I only understand the basic emotions, the really strong ones like fear and sadness."

"What about happiness?" Kagome asked, just for something to say to keep him talking. She couldn't remember a time he had ever said so much to her before, all at once.

There was a long pause before the half-demon toed at the dirt, the sound a dull thud. "That seems to be a tall order for people these days."

Kagome had never related to a sentence more.

"Look, let's just– Let's run."

Kagome nodded and pulled herself together enough to look at him. The half-demon was still intently staring at her, but this time it didn't feel so terrifying or intimidating. She took one last deep breath and started to walk. "We'll take a shortcut."

Inuyasha let her lead the way and didn't ask any more questions. Kagome was equal parts relieved and confused.

She listened to her feet pound into the dirt and counted the thrumming of her heartbeat instead. Some things were just better left alone.

* * *

She could hear the music coming from the house, even though they were all still in the car.

"Have fun, guys! Be safe and Yuka, you _call me_ if anything happens, alright? I'll pick you up later." Yuka's mother was a sweet woman, with a round face and big eyes. Considering she was dropping them off at a party where noise bi-laws were definitely being broken, Kagome was a little shocked at how relaxed she was. Her own mother wasn't nearly as calm when she dropped Kagome off at Yuka's place a few hours ago.

That, plus her mom was adamant about picking her up at midnight. Something about Yuka's liberal parents and smoking things they were maybe too old for. Kagome wasn't touching that with a ten-foot pole.

The house was older, a two-story with big jutting windows and a fading paint job. There were several cars in the driveway, a spattering of students she didn't recognize out on the lawn. At least none of them were holding alcohol in their hands. There was surely alcohol inside of the house, the thumping music barely covering the chatter of voices. Her, Yuka, Eri and Ayumi all got out of the car, dressed up in their Halloween costumes. Yuka ended up not giving them a theme, so all of them were dressed differently. Kagome had ended up going the basic route, mainly because it was the least expensive. You couldn't go wrong with being a cat. A black skirt and crop top she owned, so all she needed to add were the dollar-store cat ears, tail and fuzzy gloves. Eri had all-too-happily done her makeup, adding a little black nose and whiskers to her cheeks.

"Hey!" some guy on the lawn greeted, someone Kagome didn't at all recognize. Eri did though, smiling and waving back as they headed inside of the house.

"Kitchen first?" Ayumi asked, voice raised to be heard over the music.

All four of them headed towards the back of the house. Kagome had only been to a party here once before but the layout was pretty basic. The cluster of teens with red solo cups helped as well. A few of them said hello in passing, a couple people Kagome recognized from her geography and math classes. With the number of people around, it shouldn't have surprised her that the second they entered the kitchen, he was there too. Hojo.

Kagome took one look at the oddly calm looks on Yuka and Eri's faces and _knew_. "Guys!" she hissed.

But Hojo was already walking over, sweet smile on his face and sandy brown hair artfully styled. Sometimes, when Kagome looked at him – spoke with him, remembered just how nice and kind he was – she wondered what the hell it was about him she wasn't interested in. Hojo would likely make the best boyfriend ever. But it just…wasn't there. Kagome assumed she would feel more of something, if she liked him the way that he liked her. Right now, all she felt was exasperation.

"Hi, you made it," Hojo welcomed, waving at them all.

"Wouldn't miss it," Eri replied. "Where's the alcohol at?"

"Uh." Hojo made a face before looking around the kitchen, clearly unsure. His hands were free of any sort of glass and it only figured that he wasn't a drinker. Health-conscious was basically his middle name. "There was a bunch on the counter before. Nazuna!" He had to repeat the girl's name again, even louder to be heard over the music.

And then Nazuna's face popped out from around the corner. Her smile was far too wide, body loose as she swayed in her walk over. It was her party and she was far too drunk. "What's up?" she asked, happy and grinning. To her credit, none of the words were slurred. It boggled Kagome's mind that her parents let her do this, but then again, Kagome heard a lot of rumours about Nazuna's family and how they pretty much left the girl to fend for herself at all times.

While Nazuna led them towards the alcohol, Kagome stayed close to Ayumi's side – or, as close as she could with the little wings her friend wore. The house was pretty large and decently packed with people, everyone wearing a costume even if some of them were pretty bad. The majority of dancing – or what counted for dancing – was in the living room, where the lights were dim and several couples were making out. Kagome averted her eyes and instead took the cup that Eri handed her.

"Did you put any juice in this?" Kagome asked, smelling it and regretting it instantly.

"Yeah, of course I did."

Ayumi made a face after she bravely took the first sip. "This is basically orange-flavoured vodka."

And Kagome was absolutely not going to be picked up by her mom at midnight drunk off her ass. There were still a few hours to go so this would be her one glass before she faked drinking the rest of the night. Taking a sip, Kagome couldn't help but scrunch up her nose. That was awful. "I'm getting more juice."

Ayumi laughed at the way Yuka nearly gagged, and Eri actually pouted.

The night inched along slowly. Kagome spent most of it staying with her friends, finishing up that one terrible drink and dancing when Yuka _just had to_. Their group got bigger over time, Hojo and Nazuna hanging out with them along with a few of Yuka and Eri's friends from some classes Kagome didn't have. It was loud and friendly, squeals and laughter barely heard over the music.

Which was why Kagome stared somewhat forlornly at her empty red cup, its contents gone far too quickly and leaving her with no way to hide how little she wanted to talk. Specifically, how little she wanted to talk to Hojo. She blinked at the orange tinted bottom and wondered if maybe she drank it too fast in her quest to avoid conversation.

"Have you completed the chapters yet for history?" he asked, blue eyes wide and earnest. He was even smiling. He was always smiling.

"Not yet," Kagome answered, shrugging. "I'll probably do them tomorrow." She could see him open his mouth, hand raising like he was going to point at something and she knew – she _knew_ – she had to derail the conversation. "You know, in between everything else that's happening. Like my brother's birthday party planning and our family dinner and then I have to go and get a present still. I mean, what do you get a younger brother that loves nothing but soccer?"

Hojo blinked, closed his mouth and then opened it again to respond.

Kagome didn't get it. She didn't understand why a guy as charming as Hojo did _nothing_ for her, in terms of feelings. As he came up with a few different options for gifts – which, Sota's birthday was over four months away, she was the worst person ever – Kagome could only nod half-heartedly. She wasn't interested in him. She hadn't been, even during their first year of high school when her friends pointed the whole thing out.

All of a sudden, Kagome was shoved from behind. She flew forwards, hands out and landing on Hojo's chest. She clutched onto him for a moment, trying not to drop the red solo cup still in her hands.

"Hey, watch it!" Yuka yelled. "Matsuno, tell your friend to sit down if he's that drunk!"

"Sorry!" Some guy that Kagome only vaguely recognized from their school threw her an apologetic glance as he tried unsuccessfully to pick up some guy dressed as a mobster. Kagome was pretty sure mobsters were better at holding their liquor.

"You're okay, right?" Hojo asked and she stumbled away, trying to gain some distance. He was way too close and while she was sure he was a perfect gentleman, she didn't want to give him the wrong idea.

Nodding, Kagome put her own cup down and looked anywhere but at him. "Yeah, no, I'm good. Actually, I think I should–" Someone from behind her grabbed at her arm and Kagome spun around, irritated and floundering and– "Can you stop it?" she demanded fiercely.

Only, there wasn't some drunken mobster putting his hands on her while invading her personal space. It was a guy in a red sweater, with long silver hair poking out from the raised hood and far too familiar golden eyes. "We need to go," Inuyasha stated bluntly, tugging on her arm again.

"You can't just tell her what to do!" Oh Hojo. He was honestly too nice. "Who are you, anyways? You look way too old for a high school party."

Kagome blanched, spinning to try and put the half-demon behind her. He was so much taller; the plan was doomed from the start. "It's okay! It's fine. He's a friend, who's come to pick me up!"

"Pick you up?" Ayumi interjected. Yuka and Eri perked up then, all of their dark gazes landing on her before looking pointedly upwards.

"We need to go," Inuyasha repeated. Then, in a flash, he turned around and growled at some poor unsuspecting teen who had gotten too close. "Back _off_."

Oh god, he was going to start a fight. Kagome grabbed at his arm, the one that was still attached to her elbow and tugged. "It's a party and it's crowded. Calm _down_ ," she hissed.

"You're in danger," he hissed right back, voice a deep and threatening rumble. He tilted his head to glare at her better and of course, part of the red hood fell backwards to reveal his ears. _Crap_.

"Oh my god!" Yuka squealed.

Kagome fumbled with the hood to put it back up and Inuyasha just cringed, backing away from her while still towing her along with him. It made no sense and the room was dark and _how was she going to lie about this_?

"You have a couple's costume!" Yuka yelled.

Blinking, she stared at her poised hand on top of his head, the one that had the hood only partially back on him. Right, she realized. _Halloween_. Everyone was in costume.

Kagome pulled back her arm and freed herself from his grip. She knew without a doubt that if he had wanted to keep her, he could have. Instead, the half-demon gave her a frustrated look and Kagome tried to express with her face how suddenly leaving a party with him wasn't exactly _simple_. What would she tell the girls? And she had to be back at the house in a couple hours anyways for curfew, when her mom came to pick her up.

"Let's _go_ ," Inuyasha huffed, reaching out again. "I need to get you out before–"

And then there was a sort of quick crackling, the increasing sound of buzzing until all of a sudden, out of the blue, there was a bang.

The house plunged into darkness.

Everyone started screaming.

And Kagome, completely blind, was viciously dragged away.

* * *

 **Responses to Anon Reviewers:**

Anonymous: I love all of your comments and theories! I'm not going to say what's right and what's wrong (where's the fun in the that?) but I hope you enjoy the rest of what's to come!

Ndizzle: Why thank you! I'm sorry you had to wait so long :( Hope you enjoyed nonetheless!

Ohx8: I've been rewatching the first season of the anime and I've been trying to harness his behaviour. It's not...perfect, not by any stretch. This Inuyasha has had a lot more in his life, but other challenges too. I'm so happy you're liking everything so far! You're far too sweet. THANK YOU!

Mae: Ah! Thank you so much darling! I'm so, so happy! Romance is such a tight line - what's too much and too little? Especially since this story is going to be around 300k words long. There is so much more to come.

NS: Aw thank you so much! Hope this chapter was worth the wait :D

Passing by: YAY! A Miroku fan. I'm so happy. I love writing him and Sango in this. Also, I'm hoping to write a Miroku and Sango-centric fic soon too, inspired by the greatest Canadian gold medalists of all time. GAH, obsessed. Thanks dear!

Happydrax: You're so wonderful! Thank you so much darling. It means a ton.

Mal: Aw, shucks. You're way too kind. And yeah! Rewatching the anime kind of helped with my character building. Kagome is pretty chill with him, even in the beginning so... Hopefully it keeps working out :D Thank you, thank you love!

Gamosanoe: Two words: THANK YOU.

Danatello: Aw, you're so sweet. Thank you so much dear :)

Sfax: Well, you're in luck! I updated it today :D Thank you dear, you're so kind!

* * *

 **Question: On a scale of one to ten, should I or should I not get Tumblr? I mean, I lurk a lot butttttt...**

 **As always, feedback is love.**


	8. Chapter 8

**Author's Note:** You guys are the best. Seriously. Just...enjoy this, please. I'm not worthy.

* * *

 **That Flesh of Mine**

 **Chapter Eight**

 _We could be faces in the crowd. We could be passing in the shadows. Loving the risk of being found, when we're caught in the headlights. Dangerous, your love is always dangerous and now I'm lost in us. We're living in a lie of trust. I don't know why but I guess it's got something to do with you (to do with you)._

 _(I Don't Know Why, Imagine Dragons)_

* * *

It started with the crackling of thunder and then solidified with the smell of ozone.

Inuyasha ran through the forest as fast as his legs could take him, his heartrate accelerating at the possibilities. The scent was coming from the east, but clearly heading towards the south. Just like Mistress Centipede. And that meant only one thing.

He was alone, doing a run of the forest while Miroku and Sango focused on their homework. They had trained earlier, eaten dinner, but Inuyasha had been antsy all night. He had thought the run would do him good, the smell of the earth and air always settling some piece of him no matter what time it was. He had almost completed his circuit too, about to head home when the scent slammed into him like a ton of bricks. Demons had come to Sakura and were close by.

Demons that were heading towards Kagome's house.

It didn't make any sense.

Inuyasha prepared for the worst. He prepared to see her house barely standing, a wall missing and screaming echoing through the air. He expected to leap into a war, claws out and roaring.

Instead, Kagome's house was silent. Normal.

The scent of the demons – because it wasn't just one, he could tell by the stench of ozone and the hint of wetness that lingered in the air – made it virtually all the way to the house. Inuyasha strained his ears to hear something, anything, but nothing came forth. Simply the general day-to-day sounds of a suburban neighbourhood: car doors slamming, the giggle of children, the barking of dogs. He got as close to the house as he could, quickly peering through a window. There was no one in the room but he could see the faint glow of what had to be a television, coming from another room. Upstairs, he heard music playing, some kind of rock he didn't recognize.

Smelling once more, Inuyasha carefully made his way around the house. The scent had left, was veering back towards town. It didn't make any sense, unless Kagome wasn't home.

Getting out his phone, Inuyasha growled to himself as he dialled her cell phone number. It rang and rang, the tinny sound crackling through the speaker and when it was clear she wasn't going to answer, he hung up frustrated and angry. He dialled Miroku instead.

" _What's wrong_?" Because Inuyasha didn't call while he was on a run unless it was bad. And this? This was bad.

"There are demons, two of them. I followed the scent to Kagome's house but now it's headed towards town." Inuyasha had to force himself to loosen the clench of his free hand, the feeling of pinpricks evaporating as he removed his claws from flesh. He said what he didn't want to, but he knew in his gut was right. The centipede demon, the crow demon… The puzzle pieces fit but he couldn't figure out the image, not yet. There wasn't time now. "They're after her. I know it."

" _She's not at home_?" Sango asked, her voice filtering in. Miroku had put him on speaker then.

Inuyasha growled. "No. And the car is still in the driveway, people are home. I can't tell how many but–"

" _Wait,_ " Miroku interrupted, " _didn't she say she was going to that Halloween party at that girl's place? The one with the crazy parents_."

" _Yeah, shit. Nazuna's place. She mentioned it at lunch this week_ ," Sango confirmed.

"Get set up in our spot," Inuyasha replied, taking a deep breath and starting to follow the trail once more. The demons' scents were strong enough to remain, though barely. The wind was carrying it and had he been three minutes later, the half-demon may have lost it completely. "We'll be coming to you."

" _We'll meet you at Nazuna's_ ," Sango argued but Inuyasha couldn't have that. He cut her off immediately.

"No. I'm running there and getting her out. We can't fight two demons in the middle of a goddamn party. That, and unless you take the ATVs, you're never going to make it in time." Inuyasha leapt into the air. "I can find my way by smell. Get to the forest and be ready." He hung up before they could try to change his mind.

His speed was the advantage, the scent of the demons growing stronger with each step. As he came closer to the house, the loud music unmistakable and hard to miss, he realized he had yet another lead over them. The potency of Kagome's scent, always so thick and heavy around him, had been something he learned to expect. The past few weeks didn't dim it, but it made the constant wave of it easier to be around, to focus in on. Another demon would be too bombarded to trace her footsteps using it. And that was exactly what he did, the moment he approached the house. He only had sweats on, no hat to cover his ears so he took the hood of his sweater and covered them, hoping to just get in and out as quickly as possible.

He could smell the ozone. The other demons were here, somewhere. Inuyasha had to get to Kagome first but in the throng of humans, even as drunk as some of them were, he couldn't use his strengths. The realization made every muscle in his body tense. They could be attacked at any moment. He had to get her out.

He moved as fast as he dared to, eyes going from one room to the next. Some idiot teen fell in front of him and then did nothing more than stare a lot, not even bothering to get out of the way.

"Move," Inuyasha growled out, wanting to snap and attack. Hesitating like this was risky, so slow and _human_ and at any second–

"Nice contacts," the guy stated, sounding awe-struck.

Inuyasha didn't have time for this. He shoved him, ignoring the shouts of his friends and continuing further into the house. He checked where the music was loudest, the scent of Kagome heavier in the air. It took barely a moment to locate her then, pushing awkwardly away from some guy. He was there a second later, maybe too fast for human perception, but Inuyasha didn't care. Finding her had taken long enough and the demons could be anywhere. It was Halloween. Humanoid or not, everything blended in.

He grabbed her arm. If he hadn't been so jumpy and ill-at-ease already, the half-demon probably wouldn't have been as shocked as he was when Kagome turned around suddenly, snapping out a biting " _Can you not_?"

"We need to go," Inuyasha stated bluntly. He tried to pull her with him, to escape the hell that was this house filled with humans and alcohol and annoying smells. The ozone was still thick but he couldn't make out from where. And that was dangerous.

To make things worse, that guy who had been with Kagome spoke up, indignant. Inuyasha barely processed anything he said, too focused on Kagome in front of him and the need to run as fast as fucking possible, as far away as he could. They just needed to get to the forest, where they had the advantage.

"It's okay!" Kagome placated then, her back to him. Every instinct in him was screaming, the red flags waving. "It's fine. He's a friend, who's come to pick me up!"

"Pick you up?" Three girls were suddenly staring at him, their gazes all dark and curious.

They didn't have _time_ for this. "We need to go," he repeated, almost desperate. They had to get out, get out, _get out_. He felt pressure along his other arm and instantly Inuyasha whirled around, snarling. The sight of some thin and lanky human was the only reason he didn't claw the teen to shreds. "Back _off_ ," he growled out instead.

The guy took off like the house was on fire.

Kagome was staring at him like he was crazy, like him scaring that asshole made _him_ the bad guy. "It's a party and it's crowded. Calm _down_."

Inuyasha was going to pick her up and toss her over his shoulder in a minute. If a display like that could be construed as normal, anyways. "You're in danger," he tried again, shaking his head and trying not to claw at something.

And then there was a squeal. It was one of the girls, probably Kagome's friend, and she was pointing at him. More specifically, at his ears. Kagome was on him in a second, her hands around his face and tugging at the fabric of his sweater.

"You have a couple's costume!" the girl shouted, looking entirely too gleeful. At first, Inuyasha didn't get it at all.

And then he saw the little tiny fake ears on Kagome's head, alongside the drawn-on whiskers her cheeks held. And _hell no_.

But then the scent of sweat and alcohol was overtaken by crackling ozone, far too strong, and Inuyasha figured they had seconds left to escape. They couldn't have a battle in the middle of some person's house. He'd be forced to protect them – protect Kagome – and then his secret would be known. If her friends thought he had fake ears now, they wouldn't when they realized his claws were as sharp as metal blades.

"Let's _go_ ," Inuyasha pressed, grabbing Kagome this time without any hesitation. There was no more time, they were out of it. They had to run. "I need to get you out before–"

And then it was too late.

 _Lightning_. Inuyasha cursed as the house went completely dark, the humans inside freaking out and screaming. He didn't think then; the half-demon grabbed at Kagome and simply _ran_. She was barely in his arms, her body dangling, but he had to get them out of that house or they would be dead for sure. He knocked over everyone that got in his way and slammed through the door, forcing it off the hinges. Kagome screamed, her hands digging into his skin even with her blunt nails.

Inuyasha stopped harshly about a block away, letting Kagome get her feet underneath her before letting go and crouching down. "Get on my back now."

"What the hell is _happening_?" Kagome demanded, her dark brown eyes wide and terrified. She took a step forward and then flailed, tugging at her skirt.

Goddamn it.

Growling, Inuyasha didn't even ask before twisting around and gathering her in his arms. He could hear the demons behind him, quickly catching up. What was almost worse was the taunting that went on between the two of them.

 _Hiten, we shall find her soon. Promise me you'll let her be mine!_

 _We're not keeping her, brother, don't be a fool._

He had no choice but to run harder, faster. It would have been easier with his arms free but the half-demon would take what he could get. He aimed for the closest entrance to the forest, knowing that it would be far easier to get lost in there than on the streets. The darkness provided at least some cover and the moment the leaves engulfed them, he took a trickier path, hoping to gain more distance.

"Inuyasha," Kagome breathed, high-pitched and almost wheezy. Her hands clutched at his sweater and she turned her head around, as if looking behind them was going to reveal the danger. "Why is there a demon after me?"

"Demons," Inuyasha replied, trying to keep his voice low. They needed every advantage they could get, the clearing they were meeting Sango and Miroku in still a few minutes away.

"Demons?" Kagome asked. She looked up at him, terror clear in her expression. "Plural?"

"Stop talking," Inuyasha hissed, hearing them laughing from not far behind like it was all a game. To them, maybe it was. All he knew was that they were tied to electricity, the half-demon could feel and smell it in the air. This battle would be dangerous for Sango and Miroku, even if they were armed and ready at the clearing. He would need to end this as quickly as possible.

He could smell his friends up ahead, at the spot the Houko family had taken over years ago. It was a tiny clearing surrounded by thick trees with scarce foliage. Asato and Maiho had placed traps throughout it, little vantage points that could tip the battle in your favour, though by now those traps were gone from age. It wasn't usually all that useful, not when you had to lead a demon through a long path to get there. But it had lights, once activated, and in the darkness they needed every advantage they could get.

Inuyasha saw Sango's arm wave once and he skidded to a stop. He put Kagome down, barely noticing her unbalanced stumbling. Instead, his ears were perked in the direction of the lightning demons headed their way. "Two of them," he said, even though Inuyasha had mentioned it before. "Both of them do something with electricity, lightning. They blew out the nearby transformer and I can smell it on them."

"ETA?" Miroku asked, gun at the ready in his hands.

Growling, Inuyasha felt every one of his hairs stand at attention. "Any second now." With that, he took off, determined to get them exactly where he wanted them. He ran just a little further than the clearing and was unsurprised to see them weaving between the trees just a couple feet away. Confusingly, though, the two demons stopped at the sight of him.

"A half-demon?" one of them asked. Between the two demons, he was the most human-looking with soft rounded features and a long braid of black hair. His eyes were a dark red and he sneered towards his brother, the other one, who more closely resembled an ugly, pale mole. "Her protector is a half-demon?"

"This will be even easier than we planned, Hiten," the mole-like one stated, his massive mouth curving into a foul grin.

Since they were in the mood for talking, and clearly not reading him as the threat he most certainly was, Inuyasha took a step forward. "What do you want with her?"

"Don't you think she'd make a lovely, adoring pet?" The horrid demon wiggled his strange paws, like a puppeteer with strings. "So beautiful, too."

It took every inch of his willpower to not full-out lunge then, images of slashing the mole's throat out prancing around. He was huge, bulky. It would be like a gutting a whale.

"Manten, enough about keeping the girl." Hiten, the human-looking one, sent a stern look to his brother before directing a haughty glare at Inuyasha. "If you were smart, you'd start running."

"I think you have it backwards," Inuyasha replied, flexing his hands so his claws gleamed in the dim moonlight. "I'm the only threat here."

"Then your half-breed senses truly are abysmal," Hiten sneered. The demon crouched and Inuyasha reacted before there was a chance to do anything else. He barely saw Hiten lunge for him; Inuyasha felt only instinct roaring in his veins as he jumped into the trees. The ugly one – Manten – didn't pursue him and it made every inch of his skin crawl, knowing where he was headed. Towards Kagome, and towards his family. The lights in the clearing flared to life.

The battle was on.

Grabbing onto one of the thicker branches, the half-demon swung around, kicking out just in time to catch the demon unaware. Hiten growled, eyes glowing a furious red, and his claws just barely missed catching Inuyasha's leg. He plummeted back down to the ground and Inuyasha chased him, never ceasing, never stopping. Because he had only a limited amount of time and the clock was ticking with each second.

Inuyasha landed with a heavy thud before tackling the demon, feeling only a moment of triumph before extreme, pulsing agony filled his body. He couldn't think, couldn't feel past the burning in his muscles, like a fire was roaring from the inside out. He screamed, body arcing uncontrollably against his will. It was like every nerve was exploding, red hot and demanding. There was a brief stutter and then another, until suddenly the inferno was gone but the fire was still waging, his body limp against the dirt.

He heard a gun shot, another.

The pressure on his chest eased and Inuyasha opened his eyes, tasted blood in his mouth as he watched Hiten stagger up with blood oozing from his side. The demon let out a vicious snarl before he leapt into the air.

His heartbeat was too loud in his ears but Inuyasha scrambled up, spitting out thick crimson as his claws dug into the dirt. Miroku was shouting, "I can't see him!" Sango was right beside him, firing off in another direction while the blue-eyed teen reloaded the gun.

"They're not working!" Sango yelled, holstering her gun and reaching into her boot for her knife.

Miroku aimed his weapon into the trees. "Worked on mine."

The smell of crackling electricity filled his lungs and Inuyasha finally was able to piece together Sango's target, his body recovering from the lightning blasted through his system. It was Manten, his head tilted back at a wretched angle and mouth wide open, sparks spewing from his jaws.

"Move!" Inuyasha shouted, racing towards them.

It made no sense then that Sango screamed, knife primed in the air as she took off _towards the demon_. Inuyasha felt the growl clawing its way up his throat, his hands near shaking as he shoved Miroku as hard as he could and dove for Sango, just as the ugly demon let loose his cannon of lightning from his mouth. He practically felt the burn on his skin, mere inches from his legs. The shock of it, the reminder of what he had just been through had him letting go of her, and the half-demon crashed into a tree.

"You're not leaving this forest alive," a voice from above taunted.

Manten laughed, his entire body shaking with glee. "Finders keepers," he dared in singsong, before disappearing into the bush.

Inuyasha dragged himself up and leapt into the air, intent to finish this once and for all. He desperately needed to kill one of them before it was too late.

But then Kagome screamed, high-pitched and vicious.

Laughter followed him as the half-demon instantly dove downwards. Manten was looking for Kagome, the whole reason the two demons were there in the first place. If he got a hold of the girl, priestess or not, there would be no stopping them, no point for them to stay. It made a realization fall far too swiftly on his still-addled mind: Inuyasha couldn't kill them both on his own, and without demonic speed, Miroku and Sango couldn't give chase to help.

Kagome would be gone, or dead. Or worse.

The sound of branches cracking was the only warning he received before a whoosh of wind soared by his head. A barely-missed strike, likely from Hiten. Inuyasha growled and pushed himself faster and faster, slipping through the trees, following the familiar scent he knew far too well. He couldn't slow down; a second could allow the lightning demon to catch up, hurting him and surely killing Kagome. The second the half-demon spotted her, he could do little more than watch as the other lightning demon sauntered closer, the black-haired girl trapped against a tree with an emptied gun on the ground.

Inuyasha had no choice.

It wasn't so much of a dive as it was simply barreling into her. The half-demon reached out and grabbed her, pulling her to his chest as the shift in momentum had them flying across bushes. His arms wrapped around her head and waist, hoping it was enough as they tumbled. His foot caught on a tree and they landed heavily on the ground, rolling again and again. He could feel her hands grasping desperately at his sweater.

The moment they stopped moving, Kagome's body trapped under his, he saw the terror in her gaze, the way she was already trying to sit up. He heard it before she even gasped. "Inuyasha–"

Twisting around, Inuyasha barely caught Hiten's arm before the demon's claws pierced his clothing. The demon only grinned at him wickedly before grabbing at him and tossing him to the side. Inuyasha dragged him along, refusing to let go even as his skull slammed into the trunk of a tree.

"What do you want with me?" Kagome demanded, the scuffling of dirt desperate sounding, a clear indication that she was trying to scramble away.

Inuyasha had to get to her. He had to stop this. He spun around, catching the end of a punch to his stomach and a burst of electricity. Rolling away, Inuyasha frantically tried to crouch and push off of a tree. If he could just get to Kagome–

Manten's grating voice wobbled with joy. "The things I'm going to do once you're in my hands."

"No," Kagome begged, turning to run but it was too late.

He was too late.

Inuyasha yelled as he felt himself be dragged back, his claws doing nothing to stop it. All he could do was watch as Manten grabbed her, his big meaty arms securing around her middle as Kagome screamed. "No!" she shrieked, over and over like a mantra. "No! _No!_ " Her tiny hands dug into the demon's bare arms. " _Let me go!_ "

In one second, the frenzy of the fight died. There was a moment where all Inuyasha could see was light, bright and brilliant and _terrifying_. He could feel the hairs on his neck and arms stand at attention, like they knew of the danger that was so close, the _power_ that was looming above and waiting to swallow him whole.

And then, just like that, it was gone.

Kagome collapsed into the dirt of the forest floor, heaving in great, big, sobbing breaths. Manten was nothing more than a heap of cloth lying beside her.

" _BROTHER!_ " Hiten roared. The grip on his legs disappeared and suddenly the other demon was before him, hands reaching out but stopping just short of the discarded clothes. He looked to be in shock, a strange horror twisting his features, haunting his already red, demonic eyes. Inuyasha knew that look.

Only the truly evil could gain so much from losing the last shred of kindness they had.

Inuyasha didn't think. He didn't look at Kagome or hope that Miroku and Sango were close to catching up. He launched himself at the demon, claws out and itching for blood. He buried one hand in Hiten's collarbone, and another in the soft flesh of his stomach. He pushed them both along but Hiten was too chaotic, too driven on bloodlust to allow it for long. Hiten forced Inuyasha into the forest floor, panting as his dark crimson blood oozed down the half-demon's arms.

"I will kill you all," he whispered, a promise.

And then he heard the call of his name.

One second, Hiten was above him and the next, Sango's familiar figure was smashing into the demon and driving them sideways. Inuyasha rolled just as she slid a knife across the demon's throat, a deep cut that sent bubbles of blood seeping into the ground. Sango wrenched herself back as Miroku came forward, shooting the gun once, twice, again and again.

There were five bullet holes in the demon's forehead when the forest finally went silent.

"What is it with demons and _running as far away as possible_?" Sango panted, glaring at him. "We ran the whole way just in time to see you nearly die!"

A harsh, wrecked-sounding sob broke the tension, and Inuyasha's golden eyes immediately went to the human girl that was covered in dirt and leaves, scratches up and down her bare arms and legs. He crawled over to her, not touching, not knowing exactly what was wrong other than the overwhelming smell of fear.

"Kagome, are you hurt?" Miroku demanded but she shook her head instantly.

She was staring at her hands, surprisingly clean compared to the rest of her. She was looking at them like they were alien, a separate being unwillingly attached. "What is wrong with me?" she whispered. Dark brown eyes stared at him then, terrified and desperate. Her scent was already powerful but with the fear that permeated it, the forest around them smelled almost of rusted metal.

Inuyasha felt, for the first time in a long time, scared too.

"What did I just do?" Kagome asked, pleading for something he wasn't sure he could give. There was only a single tear rolling down her dirt-stained cheek; the rest were still gathering at her eyes, thick and glistening.

"You purified a demon," he explained, as calmly as he could. "You saved yourself." And it was this horrible compulsion but Inuyasha reached forward to finally cross that distance, to get her to settle. He had seen it happen when they were sitting on the couch, waiting for Miroku to return from the hospital. He saw the tension leave her shoulders when he helped her up from the ground while training, explaining to her what she did wrong and how she could fix it. He wanted to do the same thing now so Inuyasha reached for her.

Kagome reeled back like he had punched her, the smell of metal grinding all around them. But she wasn't afraid of him.

She was afraid _for_ him.

She looked down at her hands and cried again. Sango was there by her side in a second, sitting on the ground and pulling her close. Inuyasha watched for a moment, took in Sango's softened gaze and the way she let the other girl cling to her. Standing up, he looked at Miroku and crossed his arms, knowing that if he left his hands dangling, they'd be shaking with anger.

"We need to talk to Mushin," Miroku said, gesturing towards the girls on the ground. "About what this means."

"They came here for her and only her," Inuyasha replied, hating the way the words sounded. "They made it seem like we were her protectors. Not the town's protectors. Hers."

"Priestesses should repel demons." His friend hummed a little, clenching and unclenching his right hand again and again, that same tell he always had.

Inuyasha looked up at the canopy of trees before them, the barest light from the clearing visible through the leaves. The puzzle pieces from earlier were taunting him now, the picture trying to form in his head. "We–"

"I need to get back to the party," Kagome said suddenly, drawing all of their attention back. She wiped at her face again and pulled away from Sango. "My mom is picking me up at midnight and if I'm not there, she's going to be upset."

"Well what time is it now?" Miroku asked.

"Probably close to eleven," Inuyasha replied.

Sango helped Kagome to stand up and it was only then that Inuyasha realized the brown-eyed girl had lost both of her shoes. "Why don't we go back to my place and try to clean you up?" she asked, pulling at Kagome's top to adjust her. Her skirt was ripped at the side of her leg.

Inuyasha looked back up at the sky. "We'll grab the ATVs and meet you back here. Don't move."

Miroku looked at him disdainfully. "Please don't–"

Grabbing him quickly, Inuyasha flung him partially across his back and took off, making sure his friend was hanging on. He wanted out of the forest, as fast as possible. Even though the smell of ozone was nearly gone, his instincts were screaming that it wasn't the end, that more was coming towards them faster than they could handle.

Miroku glared at him when they stopped and shoved off a little harder than was necessary. It didn't make Inuyasha budge, but the point came across anyways. "I hate it when you do that."

"We don't have a lot of time," Inuyasha responded with, knowing it wasn't the apology he was looking for. When his best friend's baleful look didn't lessen, Inuyasha sighed, exasperated. "I need to get out of this forest."

Miroku was smarter than that. His blue gaze was piercing in the lights of the clearing. "You need to get away from Kagome."

Inuyasha didn't answer and that was enough.

"All we saw was this big white explosion," Miroku admitted. He wandered over to a half-built wooden wall. There, a box covered a switch to activate the solar-powered lights. "What happened? Did she shoot him with the gun?"

"No." But that was a good point. Inuyasha remembered seeing the gun on the ground. When she purified the bear demon, it had been just because of a simple arrow. Wouldn't a bullet have done the same trick? Or had she missed them all? "He grabbed her and she touched him."

Miroku froze, body half-bent over and expression incredulous. "She just touched him?"

"With her hands." Inuyasha remembered the look on her face when he reached out to touch her, the way she pulled back.

"I don't remember Asato or Maiho ever telling me that priestesses were this strong," his friend murmured. "I don't really remember being told about them at all."

Inuyasha had known, but that had been for a very different reason. "They're rare."

Snorting, Miroku jumped on one of the ATVs as Inuyasha did the same. They purred loudly in the silent forest, headlights shining brightly. "She's scared, Inuyasha." The half-demon looked at him, and his confusion must have shown because his friend only rolled his eyes. "She has three people in the entire world to talk to about this. We, at least, had each other growing up with guardians to talk to and a network around us."

Inuyasha watched as Miroku took off with a frown on his face, trying to understand exactly why he was sharing that piece of information. He wasn't an idiot. Kagome was obviously scared. There were demons out to kill her, and two of them were almost successful tonight.

Instead of trying to figure him out, Inuyasha took off on the ATV.

Getting Sango and Kagome was quick work. Inuyasha gave up his to the girls and together, they all travelled back to the Houko home. It was a fifteen minute ride which left them with very little time to get back to the party. Miroku was fishing out some of Sango's flats to give to Kagome when Sango appeared in the foyer with a backpack.

The wave of relief that Kagome gave off was enough to make him stare at her, distracted.

"I'm staying at Kagome's tonight," Sango explained, grinning. "I'm not in costume but we can make something up."

"I lost my ears a long time ago," Kagome commented. "And I really don't want to look at my face."

Sango snorted and tossed her a black sweater. "Cover up your arms. Hopefully your mom doesn't look too closely."

Wincing, Kagome nodded and they all piled into the car. Inuyasha drove, rolling the windows down the second he could. The air was far too cool for it, but the half-demon pointedly ignored any and all looks sent his way. To make up for it – or to make it worse – he drove faster than usual.

"I texted my mom," Kagome said, huddled behind Inuyasha in the backseat. "She'll be there right at midnight."

"That'll give us just enough time," Sango said. "I'm excited to meet your family. You have a little brother, right?"

"Yeah," Kagome replied, and even though she said it with a heavy tone, her shoulders relaxed. Inuyasha forced his eyes from the rear-view mirror and back onto the road. "He's a pain in the butt. Especially now that he's really into girls. The angst that kid gives off over this one girl on this soccer team is insane."

Inuyasha tried really hard to not breathe in.

The moment they pulled onto the street of the party, he pulled over. Even from where they were, he could see teens on the front lawn, wandering around with nothing better to do with the lights still off. "I'll leave you here so we're not seen," Inuyasha said, parking. He looked over his shoulder at Sango. "Text me if anything comes up."

With a half-assed salute, Sango smiled. "Sure, but there won't be. Pick me up on the way to Goryomaru's place, yeah?"

"Yeah, no worries," Miroku replied. "See you tomorrow."

The two girls got out of the car and Inuyasha watched as Kagome hesitated by his window before giving him a tiny wave. Inuyasha didn't respond with anything but it figured that he didn't have to.

Miroku was giving him that look again.

"Do not." Inuyasha refused to look away from Sango and Kagome walking towards the house. Once they were on the lawn, he'd drive away.

"I didn't say anything," Miroku replied, although there was a tiny smile trying to break out on his face. "But the fact that you think I would speaks volumes."

"Don't know what you're talking about."

"Right."

Inuyasha pressed his lips together so that he wouldn't sigh. Maybe this was what Kagome meant when she said her younger brother was a pain in the ass. Miroku was, in virtually every way, his brother. Even when they were younger, the blue-eyed teen had been there for Inuyasha in ways that even Sango's parents hadn't been able to. They were only two years apart but age was less of a barrier when demons existed in your world. The young didn't remain so for long.

"Whatever _is_ going on," Miroku dared to say, "I think it's a good thing."

"There's nothing going on," Inuyasha growled out. He put the car in drive and took off, pointedly not sparing a glance at the girls now at the house. "Drop it, Miroku."

"If there's nothing going on, it's still a good thing." His friend laughed a little, shaking his head. "Only you could view having another friend as a bad thing."

Inuyasha shot him an incredulous glance. "Who said we were friends?"

"Oh whatever," Miroku sighed, waving at him dismissively. "Lie to yourself all you want, big guy, but I watched you out there tonight. You protected Kagome just like you would Sango or I. You were yelling, Inuyasha, just seconds before that big white light. Kagome is a part of the group now and it's official because _you_ made it official. Whether you wanted to or not."

And that was… Unbelievable. Inuyasha chose to say nothing as they drove along and Miroku seemed content to let to the conversation die down. It was probably for the best, considering Inuyasha was going to snap if his best friend said anything else. _He_ was the one to officially approve Kagome into their little group? Inuyasha had to stop himself from rolling his eyes.

Of course, Miroku became even worse when they finally made it back to the house, explaining things to Mushin. Inuyasha felt only slightly better that he wasn't the only one bowled over by Miroku's _observations_.

"Inuyasha…screamed?" Mushin asked, raising a brow. At least the old man wasn't buying it.

"He was concerned," Miroku pressed, all earnest blue eyes. Inuyasha hated him, sometimes. "The demon was going to take her and then she touched him and boom! Light everywhere. Sango and I were blinded by it a little."

Inuyasha nodded. "Kagome purified the demon by touch alone. I don't know much about priestesses but I don't remember anything about that."

"You're not wrong," Mushin mused, rubbing at his chin. "A priestess, according to the old stories, could purify a demon when they focused their will. It was much simpler to do so with a weapon or an object, like the Jewel of Four Souls. The purity they expelled wasn't magic or some blessing, but an inherent skill."

"Kagome's more skilled then, maybe?" Miroku asked, propping his head up on his hands, staring at Mushin from across the kitchen table. "A prodigy of some sort?"

The old man shrugged. "I'll have to look into it. I can ask Goryomaru when we see him tomorrow. His place is a shelter to slayers everywhere; he knows more about this world than anyone. We'll kill two birds with one stone: get some information and the truck."

Inuyasha tried not to make a face. "No offense, but I'm a little worried your car won't make it that far."

"Maybe if you didn't drive it so badly," Mushin mumbled.

"It can barely go fifty."

Mushin pretended not to hear him, going back to his tea and newspaper. Inuyasha took that as a sign to leave. Miroku's big blue eyes were staring at him a little too long anyways.

* * *

The first bite burned his mouth, but Inuyasha didn't care in the slightest.

"Oh my god," Kagome groaned, looking at him with big, brown eyes. "These are _amazing!_ "

Inuyasha could only nod. He grabbed another cookie from the barely cool pan, letting the chocolate chips melt onto his skin. "She made these all the time. They were my favourite."

"I can see why," Kagome mumbled, the voice thick with partially chewed batter. He'd find it gross, if the whole situation wasn't so great. She just looked so happy, chewing away and licking at the last remnants of chocolate on her fingers.

The oven beeped from somewhere behind him. Inuyasha spun around and tried to turn it off, the dial in the proper position. But inside, he could see the heating coils burning up, orange and hot. Why was it still on? "Mom!" he yelled, frowning down at the stovetop. The thing was so old, it probably forgot how to function. "Mom!"

"Inuyasha."

The half-demon spun around again, no longer in his kitchen. He was in the living room, with the same big red couch.

And there was Kagome, crying. "Why did you let me do it?" she whispered. "I thought you were supposed to protect me."

"I didn't promise that," Inuyasha yelled back, unnerved. His hands were shaking. Why were they shaking?

"No, I know, but you're different, Inuyasha! You can make that choice!"

Inuyasha shook his head, not understanding. "What the hell are you talking about? Kagome, stop–"

And then the room was on fire, the ceiling caving in. Kagome screamed but Inuyasha couldn't see her. There was too much smoke, too much heat. "Kagome!" he shouted, coughing roughly into his palm. He dropped to the ground, tried to see through the haze of grey. "Kagome!"

Something flew out of the corner of his eye, crashing down on top him, his back spasming–

Inuyasha woke with a start, his back muscles instantly unclenching. He sat up, claws digging into the soft mattress beneath him. His ears locked on to the sounds around him: the quiet house, the wind outside, the heartbeats inside. Sango and Miroku, so close and relaxed, clearly sleeping. Mushin's heartbeat, fainter but just as steady downstairs.

That dream was… Weird.

Inuyasha slowly lowered himself back down, already feeling his eyelids sinking closed. He wondered, very briefly, if he would remember it in the morning.

As he drifted back off into sleep, he listened to the heartbeats around him, the familiar _thump-thump, thump-thump_.

He hoped some dreamless sleep would overtake him soon.

* * *

Miroku's grinning face greeted him first thing in the morning. Inuyasha was not at all prepared for it.

"Good morning, sunshine," his friend teased, his spoon swirling around in a bowl of cereal. "I see you chose to sleep in rather than go for your usual morning patrol of the forest."

"Please go away," Inuyasha mumbled, grabbing somewhat blearily at the mugs in the cupboard. He flipped on the kettle, knowing there'd be fresh water in it thanks to Mushin, and stared at a smudge of something yellow on the countertop.

Wait, he needed a teabag.

"Are you okay?" Miroku asked suddenly, sounding concerned. "You hate tea. You never have tea with us, ever."

"I didn't sleep that well," Inuyasha replied. His face itched for some stupid reason and he didn't want to explain to Miroku why the hell he was drinking the stuff he hated. He just– Couldn't. Not now.

"Well, you can have a nap in the back on the way to Goryomaru's place. I called shotgun." Inuyasha could feel his friend's eyes on him, studying him. It wasn't often that Inuyasha woke up so tired but he was pretty sure he had tossed and turned most of the night. He had a nightmare too, he was pretty sure, though the half-demon couldn't remember it for the life of him.

"What time are we leaving?" Inuyasha asked. He grabbed one of the herbal teas from the drawer and flipped off the kettle, pouring the boiling water in.

Miroku hummed. "Depends on Mushin since that man can take forever. I'd say another hour? Sango's already up and ready whenever we are."

By the time Inuyasha finished his tea, had a shower and somehow managed to wrangle his hair into something resembling normalcy, Mushin had finally made it up the stairs. Inuyasha grabbed his hat as Miroku corralled the old man outside, spinning it around on his finger. If he put the damn thing on now, his hair would never recover.

They all climbed in, Miroku waggling his eyebrows as he took the front seat. Inuyasha honestly didn't care. He was so tired, he was going to pass out against the window at the first chance he could. The hat, unfortunately, had to go on – at least until they hit back country roads where no one could see inside too easily. Hopefully, Sango wasn't in a chatty mood. The car ride was going to be a good hour at least and if he could sleep for most of it, that would be ideal.

He was almost drifting off when the car slowed to a stop. The back door opened, Sango likely getting in.

And then, he heard her voice.

 _You can make that choice!_

Inuyasha sat up so quickly, Kagome startled beside him, brown eyes wide in surprise. She blinked at him for a second before looking back up to Mushin. "Are you sure you don't mind? Just wave a little. I swear, it'll make her feel better."

Mushin opened the front door and waved a little. Inuyasha couldn't see who he was waving at but given Kagome's tense posture, he figured her mother was the likely culprit. "Why does she want to see me?" the old man asked, somewhat gruffly as he sat back down.

"Uh, because she thinks you pick me up and drive me around all the time." Kagome smiled cheekily then, practically beaming towards the front seat. "Which I know you don't do, but there's only so much leeway she's willing to give me. An eighteen year-old with silver hair and dog ears may not cut it."

"Nineteen." Which wasn't at all what he wanted to say, but Kagome was coming closer, scooting over on the centre seat to give Sango more room. How much room did the other girl need? She was a hell of a lot tinier than him.

"Grandpa," Sango teased. "I saw you napping a minute ago. Getting too old there, buddy?"

Inuyasha turned his face into the window and hoped that maybe he was still dreaming. This couldn't be happening. "You're hilarious," he muttered sarcastically. On his next inhale in, all he got was a huge wave of Kagome's scent.

 _But you're different, Inuyasha._

Fuck, what had he dreamed about last night? It was hazy at best, but he remembered Kagome was in it, her voice crystal clear in his mind. Everything else was a jumbled mess.

"Never mind about being old," Mushin cut in, a warning finger pointed generally in their direction. "I can turn this car around."

"And then we'll never get the truck and Inuyasha will continue to drive this thing around until it dies." Miroku spun around in his seat and grinned at Sango. "Have a fun sleepover?"

"Ugh, get your mind out of the gutter," Sango commented, pushing her hand into his face. "But it was great. Kagome's mom is so nice and her grandfather? If you ever want to discuss conspiracy theories, he's the go-to guy."

Kagome groaned. "Oh, not this again. You both went on and on. It was way past his bedtime!"

Shrugging, Sango gave in. "It was worth it."

"Except for the part when I wanted to die getting up this morning," Kagome complained. "I was going to fall back asleep in the shower. I didn't even go for a run."

"Wow," Miroku said, completely deadpan. "Whatever will you do? Jeez, what is it with you running types? Inuyasha didn't get up either."

"I was tired." Inuyasha sighed deeply. "I _am still_ tired." He was never going to be able to nap now.

Sango scoffed. "It's your own fault. You never used to patrol the forest until after we went to school. You're the one that upped and decided to go first thing in the morning. Honestly, demons don't get up that early to cause havoc. You could sleep in."

With each word that came out of her mouth, the half-demon started to dread what came next. Of course, she was going to out him. _Of course_. Not that Kagome didn't know. But still, Miroku and Sango didn't know the full truth of it, the reason for the switch and why he suddenly did 'morning patrols.'

He wasn't patrolling anything.

Kagome shot him a look, completely incredulous.

"But whatever, you make breakfast still so I have nothing to complain about," Sango went on, oblivious to the looks they were sharing.

He wasn't sure what expression was on his face: impassiveness or desperation or an incomprehensible mixture of the two. Whatever it was though, Kagome frowned and then turned her attention back to the magenta-eyed girl. "As long as he cooks breakfast."

Closing his eyes, Inuyasha did his best to let the voices in the car soothe him rather than irritate him. He focused on his breathing, on the hum of the old car driving along the asphalt.

He fell asleep with the blanketing scents of his friends all around him, Kagome's scent the strongest of them all.

* * *

The only reason that Inuyasha was going on the trip to Goryomaru's was because someone needed to drive the truck they were taking off the other slayer's hands. Normally, Inuyasha didn't go on those little trips. But Miroku still couldn't drive and Sango was still too young.

Bottom line was that Inuyasha had to go, whether he wanted to or not.

It shouldn't have shocked him, really. In a lot of ways, it was his own fault for forgetting what it was like when he met other slayers. Goryomaru was a good man; he took in children who had lost their families to demons, clothed and fed them. He made sure they were educated, had a roof over their heads, and trained them to protect themselves from danger.

But Goryomaru was no fan of demons and his 'children' clearly despised them too, all for very good reasons.

The reception he received when they arrived at the sprawling farmhouse wasn't exactly _warm_.

To be fair, it had nothing to do with Goryomaru. The man was as pleasant as always, greeting them the second they turned off the car. He was tall, lanky almost with a gaunt face and weird mauve-coloured eyes. His right arm was gone past the elbow, thanks to a demon attack when he'd been much younger. Beside him was a teenager, a young girl with bright orange hair and a grim expression. Inuyasha recognized her from the last time he visited, at least two years ago. She'd been a lot smaller then.

"Made the drive okay, did you?" Goryomaru asked Mushin with a smile, clapping him on the back.

"This is nothing compared to the old days," Mushin replied. "When I was younger, I was alone in the car and it was _quiet_. These kids? Never stop talking."

Miroku snorted. "If we didn't talk, you'd fall asleep."

Goryomaru laughed and reached over to shake his hand. He greeted Sango with a wave and then, as expected, the man's eyes landed on him. A tightness that wasn't there before suddenly appeared around his eyes, but Goryomaru kept his smile anyways and waved once more. "Good to have you all back with us."

"And this is my friend, Kagome," Sango introduced.

Inuyasha was suddenly aware of Kagome stepping out from just behind him, her expression kind. There was even a small smile on her face. Inuyasha hadn't realized she'd been so close. The smell of her from the last couple of hours was probably imprinted in his nose, messing with his senses.

"Welcome to our home," Goryomaru welcomed. "Come inside, please! I'm sure you're thirsty. Ineyo," he said, turning his attention to the young girl at his side. "Why don't you have the others set the table, please?"

Ineyo. That was her name. Inuyasha vaguely recalled it and paid little attention when the girl hesitated for a moment before nodding and jogging back towards the house.

They followed at a more sedated pace, Mushin grumbling as he nearly tripped over stones on the driveway. Goryomaru was speaking with both him and Miroku, who was thanking him for letting them take the truck. Apparently, it had been sitting there for a while and none of the children were old enough to drive it yet. Goryomaru promised to let them have it, as long as they gave it back in one piece once they got a car of their own. Inside of the house, he could hear the mumble of voices and the clanking of plates and cups. If he listened more carefully, he'd even be able to tell what–

"How many kids live here?"

Kagome's question drew his attention, his ears focusing in on her instead of the house looming above them. He watched as Sango made a face, her fingers wiggling as she tried to count. "I don't know; it changes a fair bit. But I think usually around ten or so? Sometimes, even adults stick around and help the kids too, just to give Goryomaru some extra assistance. Ten kids are a lot to handle."

"How is he able to take care of them all?" Kagome asked, looking a little astounded. "Like, when my dad died my grandfather had to do extra work just to make sure she could take care of Sota and I. I can't imagine what it would be like with _ten_ kids."

Sango shrugged. "Honestly? I have no idea. He's never offered the information and I'm too scared to ask. Mushin knows, I think, but he'd never share."

The conversation died the moment they got to the porch. Inuyasha watched as the curtains on no less than three windows suddenly snapped closed, and the voices inside started picking up a lot more. Inuyasha tried not to focus on it, instead picking out the sound of Sango's steady heartbeat as they walked inside. It was lost pretty quickly amongst the chaos of the house and everywhere there was noise – footsteps, whispers, arguments, the closing of cupboard doors. The half-demon did his best not to wince.

"There are pitchers of juice and water available," Goryomaru offered, gesturing to the long table in what must be the kitchen. Inuyasha only vaguely remembered the place, but the feeling of being inside… That he recalled all too well.

It felt like the back of his neck was burning.

"Snacks as well, so please," Goryomaru said, "have something! Relax a little before you go on your way."

"Thanks," Miroku replied. "We'll get out of your hair soon."

"Nonsense." Goryomaru's eyes raked over them all briefly before he turned towards a gathering of children close to him, all standing just behind, as if scared to come forward. "What are you all doing here?" he asked, a playful smile on his lips. He shook his head, exasperated, and Inuyasha wondered how much of it was just a front out of respect for Sango's parents. They were the ones, after all, that vouched for him the first time Inuyasha set foot on the farmhouse property. "Why don't you all introduce yourselves? Mushin and I are going to speak for a bit in the study."

Which Inuyasha knew meant to speak about Kagome, but at least the brown-eyed girl didn't know that. She seemed calm enough, considering how many new people there were, but she was sticking close to Sango's side through it all.

Ineyo stepped forward then, waving a little. "Uh, well, I'm Ineyo," she started with, a little unsure sounding. "And this is Eisen, Yuyu, Aomi, Hiroshi and Ryoma." All of the children around her very pointedly did not look in his direction. Inuyasha reached for the water pitcher, almost wishing for a moment that he hadn't left his hat in the car. When they'd been on back country roads, it seemed fine to have it off. Now though, with all of the children, it seemed more awkward than anything.

Especially since there were at least three more kids in the other room, and their conversation was a lot louder than they probably knew.

"It's nice to meet you all," Miroku said, ever the pleasant one. Inuyasha barely stopped himself from rolling his eyes.

Kagome touched his arm them, incredibly briefly, just to get his attention. "Can you pour me some water too?"

At that, he did make a face but Kagome didn't seem fazed in the least. "Hey, me too!" Sango piped up, shouldering her way around so that she stood between the group of kids and him. "While you're at it, drag those crackers over here too. I'm actually starving, even though Kagome's mom made the best breakfast."

"What do I look like, your servant?" Inuyasha asked.

All of a sudden, the room went dead quiet. For fuck's sake.

"Well, if it walks like a duck and sounds like a duck," Sango replied, rolling her eyes. "You have longer arms than me, come on."

"That's a lame excuse," Miroku added in, raising an eyebrow. "I'm shocked, Sango."

"It's not her fault. She was talking to Sota for like an hour this morning," Kagome whined. "He's the worst at comebacks."

Sango laughed, head tilted back. "But his little crush isn't. That boy is _screwed_."

One of the older boys came to the table then, his green eyes wide and uncertain. "You guys fight demons, right?" His gaze slid from Inuyasha and went right back to Kagome, who was poking at him again for more water.

"Yeah, we do," Miroku answered. "Whenever we can. Do you get a lot of demon attacks around here?"

"Not really," Ineyo said, joining in. "Once and a while Goryomaru leaves to help out, but we stay here for the most part. We won't be able to go until we're older."

Miroku raised his eyebrows at Sango, who rolled her eyes back at him. Inuyasha knew that old argument and wasn't going to touch it with a ten-foot pole.

"We make weapons, sometimes," a girl added in. "Nothing dangerous, because Goryomaru wouldn't be happy. But with stuff that affects demons and not humans."

"Oh yeah? Like what?" Sango asked.

"Smoke bomb," Ineyo answered, shrugging. "A poison spread. Stuff like that. Did you want to see them?"

There was a hiss of voices from the other room, enough that Inuyasha flattened his ears. He was positive nothing else gave him away, but Sango was watching him anyways. She looked torn and before she fully opened her mouth to make an excuse not to, Inuyasha mouthed at her to go.

"Uh, sure," Sango said finally, glancing briefly at Kagome before turning to the children. "Where is everything?"

"In the basement," the girl explained, nodding enthusiastically. "Maybe you can tell us if you have any better ideas. None of us have actually killed a demon before–"

"And you likely won't," Ineyo cut in, too sharp to be subtle.

"I'm going to head outside," Inuyasha announced, doing his best to give Sango an encouraging look. She looked completely unhappy and Miroku didn't look much better. "You three check things out. I'm going to try and find the truck, make sure everything's out of it before we take it home."

He didn't want to leave any room for an argument. Easily, Miroku or Sango would make some kind of excuse to stay behind but really, what they were doing was good. If humans had better weapons against demons, then it would make Inuyasha's life a hell of a lot easier. Ever since Sango's family died and they went from a team of six to a team of three – and maybe a half, if you counted Kagome – Inuyasha didn't like the increased risk that was posed every day. The influx of demons to Sakura was…not right. Something big was happening. Something big was coming.

"Inuyasha! Wait!"

The half-demon closed his eyes and tried not to sigh. Sango and Miroku were terrible friends.

"I told Sango I'd come out here with you," Kagome said, slowing down by his side. "Considering I can't even shoot a gun properly, I probably shouldn't be around any kind of bomb. Or is my 'talent' worse than a bomb?" It was clearly meant as a joke, but she had turned away too fast, shoved her hands into the back pockets of her jeans like she was attempting to be casual. She was far from the mark.

"You're not a bomb," Inuyasha replied. He looked around the farmhouse and figured the big garage-looking doors were probably hiding their future truck. Walking over there, he assumed Kagome would follow. When she didn't, Inuyasha tried not to sigh again. What was it about having a bad sleep that made the rest of the day so terrible no matter what you did?

"You saw what I did to that demon," Kagome stated. There was barely a shake in her voice. "I… It was like I made him implode or something. Just disappear."

"You purified him, end of story." Inuyasha glared at her and waved for her to hurry up. When she was finally walking again, he continued. "What you did was good."

"But I didn't know I was going to do that," Kagome snapped back. "I didn't mean to and it just happened!"

"If you want me to run away because you managed to vaporize a demon with the power of your will, it's not going to happen. Believe it or not, you're the least terrifying thing I've ever met." It was a half-truth, but Inuyasha would keep that to himself.

Kagome let out a frustrated groan and stepped in front of him, crossing her arms like she was suddenly some wall he couldn't break through. "What if I did that to you?"

He couldn't help it. Inuyasha snorted and side-stepped her. "Trust me, if you were going to purify me, it would've happened already. You even touched me earlier." For the love of anything good in the world, she needed to calm down. Her talking about this was clearly ramping her up, her anxiousness obvious in the turn of her scent. It was driving him _crazy_.

"I–" Kagome rubbed at her face and shook her head. "I forgot, okay? But what if I did it accidentally? I don't know how this works!" She took a deep breath and that time, the stuttering in her breath was a dead giveaway to how afraid she really was. "Miroku and Sango have already lost so much. I can't have them lose you too, not because of me."

Jesus Christ, the girl wasn't going to accept anything he said. Inuyasha whirled around, barely a couple feet away from garage, and pointed at her with a snarl. "It doesn't work on half-demons, okay? It just doesn't work. We're too human. You can hurt me, sure. You can probably slow me down. But you can't kill me, so stop freaking out because it's stressing me the fuck out and it's bad enough I have all these kids terrified I'm going to murder them all in five seconds flat."

Kagome froze, mouth open and dark brown eyes wide.

He heard some sort of muted scream from inside and forced himself to relax. That was…significantly more than he wanted to say. Without thinking, he veered to the right, away from the garage and the farmhouse and Kagome. If he walked far enough, maybe he wouldn't be able to hear any of them at all.

It wasn't long before Kagome's footsteps could be heard running across the field. She didn't yell at him or say anything though, just came up beside him and tried her best to match his pace. He wasn't exactly walking slowly. Inuyasha expected the brown-eyed girl to say something, to ask questions or demand some clarification. Thankfully, she remained blessedly silent, all the way until they were finally out of hearing range of the farmhouse.

Inuyasha let out a breath he didn't realize he was holding, forcing his hands to unclench and his shoulders to relax. He rolled his head a little, tried to get his ears to focus on the sounds of tiny animals scurrying around.

"You okay?" Kagome asked finally, her voice incredibly quiet.

"Better," he admitted. Inuyasha took in her expression and knew he had to at least explain something. "It's hard to be around that much fear."

"And I probably didn't help." Kagome gave him a sheepish look. "Sorry."

She had nothing to apologize for but Inuyasha didn't want to pour his heart out over the fact that nothing she'd done was wrong. She was thrown into a world she barely understood, only to learn what an integral role she played in it. That had to mess up anyone. "It's fine," was all he said. "I just had to get away from the house so I didn't hear them."

"The kids?"

He nodded. "They have a safe room in the house. The whole place is littered with cameras, something Goryomaru installed back when his family was alive. Not all of the kids came out to meet us. Some of them stayed in the safe room to watch and see if I did anything. When I yelled at you, I think one of them almost cried."

Kagome looked horrified and Inuyasha swallowed whatever guilty feeling was stirring in his chest. He couldn't stop existing just to make the children happy.

"Does that mean they probably think you're murdering me right now?"

Inuyasha rolled his eyes, though he honestly wouldn't be surprised if Sango and Miroku were dealing with that very plausible scenario. "Maybe. You can go back." The implication that he wouldn't be going with right away was clearly in the tone of his voice, though he wouldn't admit to it.

"No, I'm good." Kagome sat down in the grass and looked up at him. "Sango knows I have my cell if she needs me."

Inuyasha glanced away. It was quiet enough in the grassy field that there was very little noise to focus on. For once, it was nice. With a long exhale, the half-demon laid down on the grass a good foot or so away from the girl, staring up at the sky. It was bright blue with thick clouds, the sun blinding overhead. The heat, at least, was nice. While it never really got that cold where they lived, it was only a matter of time before lying outside wouldn't be comfortable.

Some grass hit his arm and Inuyasha looked briefly at Kagome, who was picking at it with both hands. Her dark gaze was focused elsewhere, hair blowing in the breeze. Even outside, with the wind and the field, her scent was like a blanket around him. It was so strange. Hiten, the lightning demon, had been wrong. There was no way his senses were muted thanks to his hybrid being.

As if catching his thoughts, Kagome glanced at him and frowned, picking at more grass to toss away. "Why not tell Miroku and Sango we run together in the morning?"

For some reason, the question didn't worry him as much as it had in the car when they were driving up. Maybe it was being away from all the other noises, the distractions and tension. A grassy field wasn't going to do anything dangerous. It was as safe as he was going to get. "Didn't feel the need to," he answered eventually. He closed his eyes.

"Why run with me at all? It's obviously not for your benefit."

Inuyasha shrugged. "You wanted to run in the forest. You wouldn't run in the forest unless you had protection. It's not hard to figure out." At that, he peeked open an eye to stare at her. She wasn't looking at him but her expression was unguarded, face twisted up in some sort of emotion he couldn't decipher. Despite what Miroku said about Inuyasha being the official vote on whether Kagome joined their little group, he didn't know her all that well. It had only been a couple of months, scattered dates throughout the weeks. How well could you know someone in that time?

Inuyasha didn't have anything to base it on, to compare it to. He just wouldn't know.

"Do you know the demon that attacked Goryomaru? Is he dead?" Kagome asked. Her voice was a lot quieter, as if the topic required a finer touch.

Snorting, Inuyasha barely stopped himself from rolling his eyes. "No. The man's older than he looks; I was way too young to know much. Pretty sure the demon's dead though. He tried to engulf Goryomaru whole, ended up taking his arm and everything. But some weird sort of transfer happened – his eyes are that weird colour now and he ages differently. Slower, more like a demon."

"Does that make him a half-demon?"

"No."

Kagome hummed a little, considering. "Do you think we should head back?"

As much as he hated to admit it, they probably should. The stay was never meant to be a long one and Mushin was surely done talking to the other slayer. Getting up, the half-demon brushed off his jeans and looked towards the farmhouse, wondering what exactly what going on in there. Hopefully, he wouldn't have to deal with it for much longer.

It was almost a miracle that Miroku, Sango and Mushin were already outside and waiting when they got back. Goryomaru was with them but all of the children were safely inside. The chatter, it seemed, had died down.

"Be safe," Goryomaru stated, eyeing them all carefully. "If you need help, let me know. I'm not much with a gun but I know a lot of people who are."

"Thanks," Sango replied, smiling. "We'll see how things go."

Inuyasha was tossed the keys by Miroku, who instantly herded him towards the pick-up truck. Kagome veered off with Sango, heading to the old car that Mushin would take them back in. Inuyasha blinked when Kagome's gaze locked with his just before she got in and he realized with a shock he'd been staring.

"Come on," Miroku prodded, hopping into the truck. "Let's get this show on the road." Inuyasha was smart enough to know that there was no chance his best friend hadn't noticed, which meant the ride back was going to be brutal. Miroku remained quiet for all of twenty minutes, the gravel road beneath the tires grinding away and almost louder than the radio.

He had been lulled into a false sense of security. Inuyasha thought that was a uniquely human trait.

"What were you and Kagome fighting about?"

"We weren't fighting," Inuyasha corrected. He bit at the inside of his lip, trying to figure out exactly how much he should say. In the end, the more Miroku knew, the better. "She thought she could purify me like she did the demon last night. I told her she can't."

"Really?" Miroku asked, eyebrows raised. "You know that for a fact?"

Inuyasha nodded. "Asato talked to me about priestesses when I was a kid. As much as he hated demons, he wanted to make sure I was safe too. Probably trying to make up for the first bad year." He never blamed Sango's parents, not really. In the end, they'd been one of the best things to ever happen to him, minus Miroku and Sango.

"And what did she say?" Miroku's blue eyes were intense. The half-demon had to look away, focus in on the road before them even though it was a straightaway.

"She couldn't be the reason you guys lost more family," Inuyasha paraphrased, shrugging.

"Huh."

Inuyasha let that sink in, enjoying the low hum of the music in the otherwise silent truck. "I may have made her officially part of the group, but you guys are the reason she's still around."

There was barely a beat of silence before Miroku replied, amusement laced with his tone. "Don't sell yourself short."

* * *

 **Responses to Anon Reviewers:**

Guest: Honestly, I sit in parking lots too just to finish reading stories. It's one of my favourite past-times hahaha. Thank you so much darling! I hope this chapter was up to snuff!

D3: Ah, you're way too kind. Sorry it took so many refreshes :) But thank you so much!

Wakaii: What can I say? I'm a fan of the odd cliffhanger XD

Chitown: THANK YOU :D

Wolfsmaid: I know... But, it just worked so...well... Cliffies can be fun! (For me!) Thanks so much love.

Guest: WOW probably the worst spot to stop. Well, I guess that's entirely my fault. Sorry about that darling! I hope this chapter was worth the wait! Thanks :)

April: And your comment made my day. THANK YOU DEAR!

Mal: I'm so confused at parties. I'm really outgoing so I can get into this mood where I'm all about talking to people and mingling and super social. And then there are other parties where I wonder why I'm even there because I have like two friends and I'm the most awkward human, how does one speak normally? So. You know. Great times. UGH. I love possessiveness, but it seemed a little early for that (if possessiveness is going to be a thing at all here). But I'm a sucker for it, truly. YAY! I'm so glad you like Kagome's family time! It's going to be a huge feature in the...next chapter? I think? *Runs to find outline* But for sure soon :D Thank you so much love. It's always a pleasure!

Fuzzywazam: Ugh, I know. I personally hate reading slow burn because it kills my soul but apparently the writer in me delights in it to NO END. Thanks darling!

Anon: THANK YOU! I'm so glad you liked it. And I will let you know if I get a tumblr. I'm still so on the fence.

* * *

 **Feedback is love.**


	9. Chapter 9

**Author's Note** : I am so, so sorry for how long this took. I just...couldn't get it out. I'm so sorry. I promise to work extra hard on the next chapter so it comes sooner.

* * *

 **That Flesh of Mine**

 **Chapter Nine**

 _Uh-oh, running out of breath but I – oh, I – I got stamina. Uh-oh, running now I close my eyes – well, oh – I got stamina. And uh-oh, I see another mountain to climb – but I – I got stamina. Uh-oh, I need another lover, be mine – cause I – I got stamina._

 _(The Greatest, Sia)_

* * *

It was getting colder, Kagome thought, as she buried her hands in the pockets of her sweater. The walk to school wasn't long but the air felt brisk for November, a warning of what was to come within the next few weeks. Ahead was the school, students loitering around as busses continued to pull in. Kagome couldn't wait to get inside. She was dreading the school week already and it was only Monday morning.

"Kagome!"

Barely having stepped inside the school, Kagome spun around quickly at the sound of her name. It wasn't surprising to see her friends there, all of their brown eyes wide and concerned. She probably should have answered their calls over the weekend. Friday night had been a no-go for obvious reasons. Saturday, she had spent the day with Sango, Miroku and Inuyasha, having gone to Goryomaru's in the morning and watching the latest action movie in the living room at night. And Sunday?

By then, Kagome just didn't know what to say.

"Why are you avoiding us?" Yuka asked, clearly upset.

"I swear I'm not," Kagome replied, hating how it sounded the moment it left her lips. "I just– This weekend was busy and I've had a lot going on." They weren't even proper _excuses_. Kagome felt guilt sit low in her stomach.

"Uh, you mean a lot going on with a _boyfriend_ you never told us you had?" Eri accused, frowning. "Since when do you have a boyfriend?"

Oh god. Kagome shook her head but she could see the skeptical looks they were all giving her. "He's not my boyfriend."

Even Ayumi didn't seem to believe her. "But he showed up to the party."

"And looked _pissed_ at Hojo," Eri remarked.

Kagome tried not to sigh. "It wasn't what it looked like. We–"

But Yuka cut her off, a hand in her face as she counted down. "You mean having a couple's costume, him coming to the party to take you somewhere and you mysteriously always being busy now _isn't_ what it looks like?"

There was no way to clarify it, not properly. Kagome had been dressed up as a cat, not a dog demon. And that alone couldn't be explained because demons weren't _real_ to anyone. And Inuyasha looked unhappy because of the life-threatening danger they were in. It had nothing to do with Hojo. But the picture they were painting was pretty suspicious.

Her silence seemed to answer whatever question was going on in their heads. Eri rolled her eyes. "How did you even meet this guy?"

Kagome looked up at the ceiling for a moment, hoping Sango would never find out. "Uh, he's friends with Sango. They're practically family."

"So that's why you're hanging out with her now!" Yuka exclaimed.

"No!" It was one thing to lie about being in a maybe-relationship and another entirely to give that impression. "No, I'm actually friends with Sango and Miroku. They're really nice. I would be friends with them anyways."

Eri pressed her lips together, considering. "No wonder Hojo never had a chance." Which again, was a complete lie. She just wasn't interested in him. Why was that so hard to believe?

"We should probably head to the lockers," Ayumi said suddenly, speaking up for the first time. Her dark gaze was only fleetingly on Kagome but she could see some sort of understanding there. "The bell is going to ring soon."

They started walking over but the subject definitely didn't drop. Yuka slid in close beside her and mock-whispered. "So, what's your boyfriend's name?"

Kagome felt awful. Inuyasha would probably refuse to talk to her again if he ever found out. But being best friends with someone meant you shared parts of your lives with each other. If she refused to say anything, then they would certainly know something was up. They'd been best friends for years. Suddenly rebuffing any and all attempts to share details would be a big red flag. Trying not to sound as grudging as she was, Kagome said, "His name's Inuyasha and he's _not_ my boyfriend."

"Yet."

Yuka hummed but before she could say anything more Kagome pointed at her. "Please, please don't make this a big deal," she pleaded. "He– He–" What could she even say? "He's older. This is new, okay? It's not– We're not a thing but I don't want to ruin it by having this get around anywhere. I– I like him."

"How much older?" Yuka asked. It figured she locked in on that piece of information.

Kagome sighed. "He's nineteen."

" _What_? He's older _and_ he's incredibly hot?" Yuka looked stunned. "I mean, how did this even happen?"

"What does your mom think?" Eri asked in an excited hush.

Kagome tried to not be both offended and overwhelmed with all of the questions. She opened her locker and didn't meet their eyes. "Mom doesn't know, okay? We're not actually dating and this thing is literally _brand new_. So please, _stop talking about it_."

"We're just happy for you," Ayumi said quietly. When Kagome looked up, her friend was giving her a small smile. "We won't say anything."

Even though Kagome knew they wouldn't, it was such a relief to hear one of them say it. She held no doubt that eventually Sango and Miroku would catch wind of it, but maybe Kagome could say that she was no longer interested before it came to that. For now, at least, it was a solid way to get her best friends from questioning her relationship with Miroku and Sango, and why she hung out with them so much.

"Just don't disappear like that, okay?" Yuka asked. "I was worried."

" _We_ were worried," Eri clarified, smiling. "We'll see you at lunch, yeah?"

Kagome couldn't do more than nod, feeling so much better than before. There was still apprehension lingering in the back of her mind over the whole fake almost-boyfriend thing, but there was only so much she could do. Letting out a long breath, Kagome looked over at Ayumi. "You ready for this assignment?"

"You think Mr. Ogata is going to actually give us time?" her friend asked.

"He has to! He promised last week," Kagome whined. "I really don't want to take this home." How was she going to tell her mom she had a literacy project with _another_ friend?

Ayumi laughed a little as they walked inside. Mr. Ogata smiled and waved at them and Kagome couldn't help but glance away immediately once his beady eyes caught hers. Even though she knew her teacher wasn't a demon, it was a bit hard to let go of. What were the chances of him having an encyclopedia about them on his desk?

"You okay?" Ayumi asked suddenly, nudging her gently with her shoulder. "You went all quiet."

"Just tired," Kagome answered automatically. She tried for a smile herself and it didn't feel too fake to put on. "The weekend was over too quickly."

"I'd ask if your boyfriend tired you out, but that's more something Eri would say." Ayumi levelled her with a look and Kagome couldn't help but burst out laughing, despite catching Mr. Ogata's attention. "He's pretty attractive though. You couldn't blame her for wondering."

Groaning, Kagome buried her face in her hands. "Oh my god. We're _not_ dating."

This may have been a terrible, terrible idea.

* * *

Seeing Inuyasha first thing the next morning wasn't really the greatest, after Monday.

Kagome tried her best to level out her breathing as she approached the treeline, knowing the half-demon could hear it. The moment he came into sight, she forced an exaggerated breath out and continued along. If she started jogging a little faster than usual, chances were Inuyasha wouldn't call her out on it. The half-demon seemed decently content letting things lie until something was deemed bad enough to warrant his attention. As predicted, when she went past him he didn't even give her a strange look. He quickly came to her side, his steps pounding into the dirt at the same time as hers.

Like usual, they didn't talk. Kagome wasn't sure whether she was relieved or not, which was horribly confusing in its own right. There was no way that she wanted to explain to the half-demon what she told her friends at school. It wasn't true, not really. Considering how long it had taken to get Inuyasha to start actually speaking with her, not just ignore her outright, she didn't want to ruin that. The problem was that the lie was simply too believable: Inuyasha was incredibly attractive and of course she would try to spend as much time as possible with him if she wanted to date him.

Obviously. Kagome wasn't blind or stupid. If Inuyasha was a little less of an asshole and a bit more socially adept, the whole story would probably be the truth.

But he wasn't and in actuality, they hunted demons together.

"I can hear you thinking from over here," Inuyasha growled out, sounding irritated. "Isn't this supposed to be calming for you or something?"

"You're running too slow," Kagome replied, picking up speed and forcing her mind to focus on her breathing, on the sound of her footsteps, on the rustle of the leaves. She quieted her mind as best as possible, eyes staring straight ahead.

She only darted her gaze away – just once – to look at the half-demon. It wasn't that much of a surprise to find him already looking back, expression unimpressed.

Kagome scowled and ran harder.

* * *

The week passed by far too slowly and even still, Kagome felt like all she did was rush to complete things. The only reason her homework was finished at all was because of the lack of demonic attacks the whole week. She'd been able to stick to her routine of running, school, home, homework and sleep. Yuka, Eri and Ayumi all had wanted to go out the night before, but Kagome begged off. It was so nice to just have a _break,_ even if it wouldn't last.

Besides, she had training on Saturday with Miroku, Sango and Inuyasha.

Thursday morning had been relatively uneventful. Eri complained ceaselessly during their civics class with Mr. Takahashi, the added worksheets miserably piling up until the end of the class. Gym was gym, and Yuka didn't even bat an eye when Kagome bustled out of the changeroom after to go find Miroku and Sango for lunch. Things were good. Calm, even.

"Hey," Kagome greeted in the cafeteria, plopping her lunch down on the table and smiling at her friends. "How's it going?"

"Eh," Miroku answered, shrugging. "It's school."

"At least you don't have Mr. Takahashi," Kagome grumbled. "It's like he only feels joy when he overloads us with homework. He's almost as bad as Ms. Tanaka with her math lessons."

"My math class is nothing like that," Sango pointed out. "Always avoid Ms. Tanaka."

"Well I know that _now_. You had Miroku to help you pick teachers, it's not fair."

"What's not fair is being the oldest."

Sango rolled her eyes at Miroku. "Inuyasha's older and don't go all 'woe is me.' We both know he helps you with all of your homework anyways."

"And yours!"

Rubbing at her face, Sango shook her head. She looked completely exhausted, body tense and face pale. Kagome tried her best to discreetly study her friend at the table, stealing glances here or there while Miroku talked. It was immediately obvious, made worse by the tiny realizations that came with each look. Sango had bags under her eyes, puffy and red like she was constantly rubbing at them. She was continually tensing and every once and a while, Kagome would watch her sort of collapse into the table, as if she remembered they weren't under attack.

Something was clearly going on and it wasn't difficult to figure out. Inuyasha had told her how Sango wasn't taking the news about the bear demon well, how they still didn't know who had ordered the hit. She'd been quicker to snap then, but now it seemed like all of the energy was sapped out of her.

The moment Sango excused herself for the bathroom, Kagome counted to ten and then turned on Miroku. "Spill."

The blue-eyed teen sighed, his gaze following Sango's retreating figure out of the cafeteria. He looked miserable. "Kagome–"

"You know exactly what I'm talking about," she interrupted, dropping her voice and leaning closer.

Another heavy sigh. Miroku met her stare only briefly before going back to his lunch, looking distinctly uncomfortable. "She's barely sleeping," he admitted, in practically a whisper. "All she spends her time doing is research. She's obsessively reading the notebooks her parents left behind."

"For clues?"

Miroku shook his head. "To just…read them. To learn, I guess, but virtually everything in there they taught us when we were young. It wasn't like a diary of every attack they faced but more like a collection of tidbits when something worked well."

"She's still grieving," Kagome said softly, briefly looking towards the doors in case their friend was coming back. "When she was at my place, she seemed fine. I thought she was getting better."

"No, and if it wasn't for Inuyasha, she'd probably be worse." Miroku avoided her gaze, picking at his food like he couldn't stomach eating it.

Kagome frowned. "Why?"

"She doesn't listen to me," Miroku muttered, sounding almost bitter. "But she trusts Inuyasha, more than anyone else. He's been keeping a closer eye on her and yelling at her to stop when she starts to be…too much." He winced. "I've never really understood how they worked when they kind of just glare at each other. They're not exactly big on affection or hugs."

"Peas in a pod," Kagome stated, thinking back on all of the times Sango and Inuyasha had gone head-to-head on something. It seemed to always come down to those two, with Miroku backing off.

Miroku's head jolted up suddenly and then he forced a grin, looking back at her. "So, are you coming to our place tonight?"

"No, I have archery after class," Kagome replied, completely unsurprised when Sango appeared back at their table. Miroku wasn't exactly subtle. "But I will be there on Saturday. I need more target practice with the gun. When that demon came after me, I only hit him a few times."

"Ugh, that asshole was ugly," Sango commented, making a face. "We'll work on it; promise."

The rest of lunch was all talk about their training plans and when the bell rung, Kagome felt calmer than she had all day. Demon slaying was simple – in theory – and with Inuyasha's combat training and Sango's plans to teach her shooting, she was going to learn a lot. Tons of detail that she could use to protect her family. At the end of the day, that was what really mattered.

Her third period science class was boring. She managed to finish the assigned work before class ended though, so it was one less thing to worry about when she got home that night.

History, though. History was another story.

Earlier that week, Kagome had been smarter. She had gone into history just seconds before the starting bell and sat down at a two-person table with someone already in the other seat. It made it easy to dive straight into the work, listening to the teacher and ignoring the sensation that someone was looking at her every once and a while.

But today… Today, Kagome was thinking about how she could convince her mom to let her go to Sango's house even earlier on Saturday. If she could get there for breakfast, they could spend most of the day training, probably get in a few forest rounds. Sango would have to help her with target practice but Inuyasha and her could go over some moves again with–

"Hey Kagome!"

Frozen for a brief moment, she had only a second to realize her mistake before turning to look at Hojo, sitting right beside her with a smile on his face. Of course.

Crap.

"Hey," Kagome replied, hoping it didn't sound as weak as she thought it did. Hojo was honestly really nice and it wasn't his fault that he was out of the loop on demons. Explaining the whole Inuyasha-thing was what she'd been trying desperately to avoid, knowing for a fact that Hojo was going to ask at least _some_ questions. They were – kind of – friends. The awkwardness was mainly on Kagome's side.

"How have your classes been?" he asked, raking a hand through his sandy brown hair before giving her yet another smile. Did he ever not?

Inuyasha's scowling face flashed in her mind and Kagome almost laughed at the comparison. She wondered about a situation where the two of them were in the same room, and who would break first. Would Inuyasha smile, or would Hojo scowl?

"Not bad," she answered, waving a hand to encompass her feelings on the day. "Gym wasn't terrible but I'm horrible at volleyball."

"You're not that bad," Hojo replied. He turned away for a moment to grab his books and put them on the desk. "Besides, you haven't seen me with a badminton racket yet."

"I wish archery was something we learned in gym," Kagome sighed. "I'd have the best marks."

"While the rest of us sucked at it," Hojo pointed out, both eyebrows raised. "That's hardly fair."

"Says the guy who can serve perfectly every time." Groaning, Kagome tried not to remember just how badly it had gone when they had to practice it in class. The gym teacher had actually pulled her aside to help.

There was too much silence, so Kagome looked to the side to see Hojo staring straight ahead, his cheeks a little pink. He was fidgeting with his notebook, like he wasn't sure what to do. "Uh," he mumbled, letting go of the pages to rub at the back of his neck. "Thanks?"

Oh god. Kagome didn't know exactly _what_ she did, but this reaction wasn't one she wanted to inspire. She desperately needed a subject change and the only thing she could latch onto was part of her discussion with Miroku and Sango at lunch. "Do you have math this semester? Ms. Tanaka?"

Hojo gave her an odd look then, but shook his head. "No. I have it with Mr. Kyoya, first period."

So that meant– "Oh, do you have it with Sango?"

Another look, but Hojo was still smiling so he couldn't have thought it was that strange. "Yeah. I've never spoken to her though. She's pretty quiet." As if he couldn't help himself from not saying anything nice, Hojo added, "But she seems really smart."

For a moment, Kagome wished she had math with them instead. Having an actual class with Sango would make her feel far less terrible about lying to her mom. She knew it wasn't really all that different – the smaller lie to cover the bigger lie didn't change anything – but Kagome couldn't shake the feeling.

"You're friends with Sango, right?" Hojo asked suddenly. "I mean, I see you have lunch with her and that other guy." Kagome opened her mouth to respond but before she could, Hojo blurted out, "But not the other guy from the party. The guy that goes here. Uh, senior?"

Kagome looked desperately at their history teacher. Why hadn't class started yet? This was some dangerous territory. "Eleventh grade," she replied. "His name's Miroku."

Thankfully, their history teacher closed the door then, finished whatever conversation they were having out in the hall. Kagome turned her attention to him but it didn't matter, not when Hojo clearly saw his opening.

"So who…was that guy?" The question, bless him, was almost tentative. "The one at the party who picked you up?"

Oh god, Kagome felt the heat climbing up her neck. This was _bad_. "Uh." She had to downplay it. Hojo wasn't the type to spread rumours but she really, _really_ didn't want to go around sharing Inuyasha's existence to people. Especially considering his existence was…

Kagome didn't even know how to finish that sentence.

Hojo was still staring at her though, and since the teacher was fiddling with something on his desk, the lecture hadn't started yet. There was no way to ignore the question without being considered rude.

"Uh, he's a friend of Sango's, actually." Kagome glared at the teacher. Why wasn't he doing anything? "He's nice." If you liked scowling, socially inadequate half-demons, Inuyasha was perfect.

Frowning slightly, Hojo tapped his pen against his desk. The _tap-tap-tap_ grated on her nerves. "He didn't seem that nice at the party. He grabbed you."

"It wasn't–" Kagome tried not to sigh because from an outsider's perspective, she got it. Inuyasha was angry because of the demons tracking her, tense because they were going to attack at any minute. He was trying to save her.

Still. How the hell could she explain that to Hojo?

"It's not what it looks like," she said finally, knowing how weak it came out. Kagome made a last second decision and prayed she wouldn't regret it. "He's a great guy. We're really close." The way she said it sounded final, even to her own ears.

And then the history teacher _finally_ got his act together and called for the class' attention.

Kagome sighed again.

Hojo didn't smile for the rest of class.

* * *

"Whoa there, girl."

Kagome let loose another arrow, feeling the lingering tension in her fingers. Her right arm was protesting, even as she drew yet another arrow from the quiver. It was the last one of the round and Kagome couldn't tell if she was relieved or not as she nocked it, the arrow to the left of her bow as she drew back. She could feel eyes burning into her but it was the least of her worries.

She took a deep breath, exhaled. Inhaled on the draw and released just moments before her fingers did.

Kagome winced even as her arrow landed on the target, just slightly off centre and a little down. Her fingers were on fire.

"You wanna take a break there?" Sen asked, looking decidedly unimpressed when Kagome risked a glance over. The senior had her arms crossed, both eyebrows raised. It wasn't a look she received often, but Sen was pretty good at doling out the expression to all of the archery newcomers during lessons.

"Yeah," Kagome replied, laying down her bow on the nearby table and unstrapping the bracer. Even with it, her arm was feeling tender. "I'm done."

"If you weren't, I was going to make you. That was too many shots. You're going to be sore as hell tomorrow."

She was right, of course. Kagome was an idiot for pushing herself as much as she was, staying later after practice to better herself. At first it had been about training, but thinking about that led to thoughts of Inuyasha, which led to thoughts about Hojo in history. And she shouldn't have felt badly because it wasn't her fault. Hojo's feelings weren't her problem and Kagome had never led him on. But still, it… It sucked. It made her feel bad, making someone else feel that way.

And Kagome had enough of a guilty conscious that her anxiety was peaking over and over, each new thought a special kind of torture.

A run would be great.

Kagome looked down at her flexing fingers, the tingling still there. Running seemed like such a bad idea, given how tired her body was. If only her mind could be on the same page.

"Did you want to talk about it?" Sen asked suddenly.

Kagome blinked, looking back up at the girl. She'd almost forgotten she was there. "I'm okay," she answered slowly, shrugging. "I was trying to clear my head but I don't think that's happening any time soon."

Sen grabbed at her long red hair, flipping it over her shoulder like a shawl. Her eyes narrowed. "I get that, but you really need to set limits. You're a great archer but crap like that gets someone hurt." She pointed at Kagome's hands, that unimpressed look firmly back in place. "I like you because I don't have to monitor you, unlike most of the people here. Please don't make me monitor you."

"I don't want to be monitored," Kagome said, frowning. "I don't think I deserve that."

Sen scoffed, crossing her arms. "I _mean_ , I don't want to worry that you're being taken care of. I want you to take care of yourself." Kagome opened her mouth, still confused, when Sen cut back in. "You need to take _great_ care of yourself." She smiled then, a tiny little thing. "Are you sure you don't want to talk? I'm not good at it, but you're probably the best archer here, minus me, so I have a bit of a soft spot."

"A soft spot?" Kagome couldn't help but grin. She looked towards her target where the arrows were still embedded. "Does that mean you'll help me get my arrows? I think my fingers are dead."

Sen rolled her eyes. "On the two conditions that you go home and don't pull a stunt like this again."

Kagome looked at the other girl, the way her posture was relaxed but her lips thinned. If she was worrying a girl that she didn't know very well, Kagome figured it had to be bad. She stared down at her hands again, trying to ignore the throbbing. "Yeah," she murmured, unable to look back up.

"Good." Sen started to walk away, her long red hair flipping over her shoulder again. "Don't make me do this again."

And even though Kagome could no longer see her face, she was pretty sure the older girl was smiling. Maybe. Just a little.

It was enough to distract her from the cloud of her anxiety fogging up her mind. She packed away the bow and tended to the arrows. With the two of them it was quick and companionable work. They didn't talk much after but Kagome didn't mind for once. As kindly as Sen was offering, she really didn't want to talk about it. The guilt she felt wasn't right, and even though Kagome could rationalize that out, her body didn't get the message. The easy routine of practice ending was enough to lighten her, just slightly, so that on the walk home her thoughts were barely more than imaginative drabbles, fleeting and calm.

She was just walking up the driveway when her cell phone vibrated. Kagome pulled it out of her back pocket, a bit surprised to see Sango's name on the screen.

 _We've got some news. Are you home?_

Kagome frowned slightly, tapping away at a response and she stepped inside. "Hi momma," she called, taking off her shoes. "I'm back from practice!" She sent her response: _Just back. Is anything wrong? Demon?_

"Hi sweetie!" Her mom popped her head out from the kitchen, smiling and drying her hands on a dishtowel. "You're later than usual."

"Practice ran long and then packing up took forever." Dropping her backpack by the foot of the stairs, Kagome headed into the kitchen. "Dinner smells amazing."

"It'll be ready in ten. Did you want to clean up and get Grandpa for me?"

"Sure." Kagome headed towards her room, opening up the new message that vibrated. _Nothing like that. Think you can get away for a bit?_

It was pretty unlikely. Given the time and the fact she was exhausted after practice, there was no way her mom would let her go for a run. _Not really. Dinner is soon and it's late. Can you call later?_

She busied herself with changing into comfy clothes, heading into the bathroom to wash her hands and face. There wasn't a text message when she returned but Kagome wasn't too worried. She grabbed it and headed downstairs, going towards the living room where her grandfather was definitely watching the news yet again.

"Hi Grandpa," she called out, sitting down on the couch next to him. "Are you trying to raise your blood pressure?"

Her grandfather made a dismissive sound, waving his hands at her. "This is nothing." His dark eyes found hers and they were practically glittering with glee. "Did you hear what happened?"

"Do I have to know?"

"Keeping up with current events is important, especially when you grow older!" her grandfather chided. He gave her the side-eye, the television continually playing some news segment. "How else would I have learned about the new scam going around on the computer?"

"You don't even use a computer," Kagome responded, unable to stop the smile from showing on her face.

"I could, if I wanted to."

Kagome shook her head. "You know I came in here to get you for dinner, right?"

Letting out a long and exasperated sigh, her grandfather waved at the TV. "You can't just enjoy time with me?"

"If you would watch anything other than the news, then yes." Kagome raised a brow as the reporter on the screen told them about a new shocking murder, one that was wrapped up in mystery due to some long-lost nephew. It barely made any sense.

Her grandfather huffed. "But this is the guy that came back from the dead! This is the biggest scam of them all! How else will you be prepared, Kagome?"

Reaching over to grab the remote, she turned it off and stood up. "Common sense, Grandpa. I love you, but this stuff is going to turn you crazy. Come on, it's dinner time."

Her grandfather narrowed his eyes but got up anyways, muttering under his breath about being stuck on an island and coming back to thousands of dollars. It was just as confusing as the TV, so Kagome refused to feel even a little bit bad.

Dinner was simple and relaxing in a way that Kagome desperately needed. Her mom made one of her favourite meals and Sota was going on and on about how Hitomi was flirting with some guy on the team, whining about it incessantly until his mother rolled her eyes and sent him into the kitchen to get more food.

"How much homework do you have?" her mother asked in the ensuing silence.

Kagome frowned a little, trying to remember. "Not much, but I should probably start to work on one of the essays."

"Do you think you'll have time to watch a movie later? Sota said one of those new robot movies are available now. I figured we could all watch it before bed."

" _Mom_ , it's not a robot movie, they're aliens!" Sota exclaimed, coming back in with his plate stacked high.

It was a much better topic than Sota's pining for Hitomi.

As they were finishing up, Kagome could feel her cell phone vibrate in her pocket. Phones weren't allowed to be taken out at the table so she ignored it. There were a couple messages but they were all spaced out enough that she didn't think it was an emergency. There weren't any calls anyways so there probably wasn't any demon attacks. Hopefully.

"I'm going to do my homework but I'll be down for the movie!" Kagome called out, dropping her dishes by the sink. It was Sota's turn to do them anyways. She headed towards the stairs and pulled out her phone, seeing multiple messages from Sango.

 _We'll stop by._

 _How long is dinner?_

 _Never mind. Just don't freak out._

Kagome furrowed her brow, looking up from her phone to stare at her bedroom door. Her closed bedroom door. The door she was pretty sure she left open. Slowly, she opened the door and poked her head in. She wasn't afraid and in fact, she didn't even feel the tiniest tingle of anxiety up her spine. "Please tell me you're not in my closet."

There was a snort and Kagome opened the door wider to see Miroku lying on her bed, staring up at the ceiling. Sango was sitting in her office chair, spinning around. "Nice room," Miroku commented. "Big bed."

"Thanks?" Kagome shut the door and hoped that no one came upstairs. If her brother thought _now_ would be a great time to bug her about girl advice–

"Inuyasha will hear, don't worry," Sango said, smiling slightly. "How's the family?"

"The usual. Grandpa watches too much TV, Sota's pining and my mom is somehow managing it all without issue." Kagome gave her room a cursory glance. "Where is he?"

"Outside," Miroku replied. He pointed towards the window. "I'd say you need a better window lock, but it's actually kind of convenient."

"Is something bad coming?" Kagome asked. "Is that why it's so important to talk now?"

Sango shook her head. "Not bad, but pretty important. Mushin's been asking around and he managed to find the younger sister of the last known priestess."

It took a moment for Kagome to fully understand what she meant. Finally, it clicked: she was a priestess, or that was what Mushin thought. The sister of the last known priestess could potentially help her, or teach her, or at least give her some kind of _understanding_. "Really?"

Miroku sat up and nodded as Sango continued, "Yeah and she wants to meet. She's free Saturday so if you can come to our place early, we can have breakfast and train and do a round of patrol before going to see her."

"How far away does she live?" Kagome asked, leaving out the fact that she'd already been trying to plan coming over earlier. It just came down to asking her mom. It shouldn't pose any sort of problem; her mom knew they were friends. Besides, Saturdays were easier to get away with than Sundays. "Should I bring anything? Do anything? I have no idea how this works."

"Neither do we, unfortunately," Miroku answered. He shrugged. "I'm sure it's fine. She's only an hour away, as long as we don't hit any traffic. Mushin did say that she seemed excited to meet you."

Kagome swallowed and there it was, the familiar call of nervousness entering her system. This was _real_. She was going to potentially meet someone that would be able to help her make sense of the so-called powers she had. What if there wasn't any sort of answer? What if the woman looked at Kagome and realized that this was something worse? Something else? What if she wasn't a priestess and all of this was just one big–

The window opened then, startling Kagome out of her thoughts. Inuyasha's scowling face came through, his golden eyes glaring at her. Or maybe not glaring, but just…intently looking. Kagome took a deep breath as the half-demon entered, leaving the window open behind him. "So?"

"So, what?" Miroku asked, grinning. "We told her."

Inuyasha rolled his eyes. "I heard." He leaned back on the windowsill and crossed his arms, that gaze never wavering. "Will you be able to stay that long?"

"Probably." She shrugged, unable to give a proper answer now without actually speaking to her mother. "Do you think I should stay over?" At the very last second, she looked at Sango for confirmation, wondering if it was worth exploring. She'd need to get home in the morning but that would give them a lot more time to figure things out. Kagome had a feeling that whatever this woman had to say to her was going to be life-altering. Probably enough so that going home wouldn't be the best option.

Sango seemed to understand where she was coming from, even without voicing it. She nodded. "If your mom will let you, then let's do it. You can share with me again."

"One big, happy, slaying family," Miroku murmured. He was laying back down again, blue eyes staring at the ceiling. There was a smile on his face though and he was clearly amused. "Teamwork makes the dream work and all that."

"Please shut up," Inuyasha retorted. "What's with you today and–" The half-demon paused then, head swivelling towards the bedroom door. His ears were twitching on the top of his head and Kagome watched, fascinated, as every part of his body froze into stillness. After a few seconds, he put a finger to his lips and glared at Miroku.

"Kagome?" Her brother, _of course_. "Mom wanted to know–"

And then Inuyasha was against the door in a flash. It happened so fast that Kagome was barely able to process it at all. One second, they were all still and silent in her room. The next, Inuyasha was pressing up against it as the doorknob turned, her little brother clearly trying to get in for some reason, like he was still a child and didn't understand the concept of _privacy_. "Sota!" Kagome screamed, rushing towards the door herself. It wasn't like she could keep it closed any better than the half-demon beside her, but it made her feel better, made her feel like it wasn't all such an act and a lie. "What are you doing?"

"Uh."

"I'm _changing_!" Kagome yelled out. "What do you want?"

"Sorry!" Sota sounded almost nauseous, like the realization of what he'd almost done had finally sunk in. Even Kagome could hear him take a couple steps back, his words stumbling a little as he rushed to explain. "I'm sorry! I was just seeing how much longer you needed because Mom wants to start the movie soon but she wanted me to check with you."

Sighing, Kagome rested her forehead against the door. "Twenty minutes? Is that good?"

"Sure!" Sota just sounded excited to be done the whole conversation. When she went downstairs later, he probably wouldn't even look at her. He was still in that awkward stage of finally understanding why privacy could even be needed. His footsteps were heavy as they ran down the hall, clearly pleased to be getting away.

Kagome realized with a lurch that twenty minutes was only enough time to get her friends out and to maybe look in her backpack. Absolutely no homework was getting done that night, unless she stayed up late to do it.

"He's gone." Inuyasha's voice nearly made her jump. It was so close and Kagome turned her head only to see that the half-demon was much closer than she expected. He was barely leaning on the door now but he hadn't stepped away, as if Sota could come back at any moment and try to repeat his mistake. It had been Kagome that stepped closer to him in the beginning though, coming to his side to talk to her brother through the door. Was she always this close to him?

"Thanks," Kagome mumbled, turning away and trying to ignore the nearness. "You guys should probably get going though. I'll text you when I find out if Saturday's a go."

"Or just let us know at school," Miroku stated, getting off the bed and groaning.

Sango made a horrible face at him. "Why did you remind me it was only Thursday? I don't want to go to class tomorrow."

Inuyasha rolled his eyes but Kagome could see the way his lips tilted upwards, just the slightest bit. He was staring at their friends as if they were constantly entertaining, the two of them always squabbling about one thing or another.

When Inuyasha glanced her way for the briefest of moments, Kagome realized that she had turned back to look at him – again – and that she'd been caught staring.

Wonderful.

"Get back safely?" Kagome tried, hating the way it sounded more like a question than a statement.

The half-demon nodded anyways, either choosing to ignore her behaviour or just not understanding it. Kagome wasn't sure which was worse.

"See you tomorrow," Sango said with a wave, leaning out the window. She managed to exit, far more graceful than Kagome could ever imagine herself being. Miroku followed and Inuyasha sauntered out last, throwing some kind of half-assed salute her way. He leapt from the roof after only a moment's hesitation – likely making sure her family wasn't nearby rather than scared of the drop – and then one by one her other friends jumped too.

"One day I'll probably think this is normal," Kagome murmured to herself, not quite believing it.

* * *

Inuyasha was in the middle of rubbing his eyes when Kagome broke through the trees. She hadn't started to run yet and seeing him look so exhausted nearly made her stumble, her attention drawn away from the roots in the ground. It was shocking, was all; he had never seemed more human than in that moment. She caught herself and ignored the feeling of embarrassment when the half-demon gave her a weird look.

"What?" she asked instead. By this point she was usually jogging. Not today though.

The silver-haired teen stared at her for a moment more before shrugging. "Run?" He didn't quite wait. Inuyasha turned and started off, a slow enough pace that Kagome caught up quickly. The run through the forest was familiar. By now, even their steps were matching, their breaths. The trees around them shivered with the brisk air forcing its way through; Kagome wondered if she should have brought a heavier sweater than the one she'd put on.

"Yesterday," Inuyasha started. His voice was rough, gravelly like he'd just tumbled out of bed. Normally the half-demon didn't talk at all during their runs. Grunts were the preferred method of communication. This was bizarre.

Kagome had to force herself not to stop right there and turn the tables on him, to stare at _him_ strangely. Instead, she breathed in and out, as methodical as ever. She listened to the sounds of their footsteps during the half-demon's pause.

"Yesterday you said you'd eventually think this was all normal." Inuyasha was frowning a little and even though Kagome was desperately trying not to look, it was impossible to stop. From his side profile, she could see the dark circles under his eyes, like he wasn't sleeping or he was pushing himself too hard. Was he more worried about all of the demons coming than he was letting on? He had never seemed so vulnerable before.

It was enough to make Kagome speak up, to interrupt him before he continued on any longer. "I meant watching you jump out of my window." The moment the words left her mouth, Kagome grimaced. "I mean, all of you. All of you jumping out my window to share some information with me." Inuyasha leaving her bedroom window alone would suggest…something else entirely.

The frown didn't leave Inuyasha's face but she could see the way his shoulders relaxed. "Oh."

 _Oh_. What did that even mean? Where was he even going with this?

Kagome suddenly wished she hadn't said anything at all, just to find out. Inuyasha so rarely spoke first, it was almost like she robbed herself of an opportunity. But he looked so strung out and everything seemed so hard already–

"I'll let you know though," Kagome said on an exhale. She took five more steps, listened to the _thump-thump-thump_ as her feet connected with the earth. "If I ever find this new crazy demon knowledge thing to be normal." She took a breath, paused. Felt like she should continue. "Since it shouldn't be, right?"

Inuyasha spared her a quick glance, only noticeable because Kagome was already looking for it, seeking some kind of understanding. The half-demon simply shrugged.

He started to run faster.

Kagome matched him step for step.

* * *

She dreamed in red.

Red books. Red lipstick. Red x's on her homework. Red hair as a bow fired an arrow, the target seemingly no colour at all.

And red eyes.

Always red eyes.

And then, a low humming, deep and broken by spurts of silence. It tugged, in the way that only reality could and suddenly Kagome was opening her eyes, unwillingly awake.

Her clock read 2:17 a.m. and her cell phone was vibrating on the nightstand.

"What the–" Kagome licked her lips, her mouth far too dry. Who would be calling her at a time like this?

And then Miroku's name flashed on the screen.

Instantly she reached out and snagged it, the phone vibrating in her hand. She slid her finger across the screen, almost terrified to answer. "Miroku?"

"Kagome." It was Sango and she sounded breathless, panting heaves falling heavily from her mouth. "There are demons and they're headed in your direction." That had her sitting up, hand clenching around the phone. Before she could say anything though, her friend continued. "We won't let them get to the house but you should be on guard, just in case."

"What are they?" she asked, imagining the two thunder demons from before, with their massive bodies and their dark, twisted words.

"Rats." There was a loud whoosh of breath and then all Kagome could hear was the snapping of branches. It was muted but Kagome swore she heard a gunshot. "Stay inside. We've got this. I'll call you when it's done."

When the demons were dead.

"Okay, fine. What–" But already, Sango had hung up. For a moment, her room was overcome with a heavy silence, like a blanket had fallen over it. She looked around, the barest hint of light coming through her window. The waxing moon nothing more than a tiny sliver.

How many demons were there coming? Could they actually stop them all?

As quietly as she could, Kagome got up and slid on a pair of sweatpants, tucking her long pajama top in. She headed to where her bow case was and flicked on the lamp on the way over. If any demons got through, she would be there. Nothing was going to hurt her family. Nothing. Even with her heart racing, she prepared it all like clockwork. Her hands were steady as she inspected her arrows, the way that the tips were nowhere near as sharp as the ones she used at Sango's. This was meant for targets, not to kill. They would have to do anyways.

Every step she took outside of her room was calculated. Their house was old and it had creaks and groans on virtually every other floorboard. It felt like the longest walk of her life, inching her way out of her home without anyone the wiser. Unlocking and re-locking her door was too loud, too much but would a locked door hold back a demon, even for just a few extra seconds? Kagome didn't even know how big the demons were. That centipede demon from months ago had been monstrously huge in comparison to the real thing. Would that make the rat demons–

She pushed the thought away and hid her keys under the doormat.

When she looked towards the forest, everything seemed eerily silent. There were no sounds, no thundering of feet or shouts. Whatever Miroku, Sango and Inuyasha were doing, it was quiet. Carefully, she stepped off the porch and towards the treeline, her hand tight on her bow. She reached back for an arrow, continuing forward. A gentle breeze stirred the trees before her but otherwise…silence.

Kagome crept closer, the breeze picking up and whipping her hair around. A shiver wracked her body, the outside so cold compared to the warmth underneath her duvet. She should have put on a sweater, and grabbed a hair elastic so she could see when she was aiming. Kagome was the furthest thing from prepared.

She moved closer still. It took ten steps but the sound of branches snapping could be heard. The flashback was almost violent when it happened: the centipede demon, rushing towards her faster and faster, with the branches crackling all around its legs. Kagome didn't have a bow back then and with effort she pushed her hair to the side and nocked her arrow, hesitant to draw until she saw anything.

It was so dark; how was she even going to see?

The question became pointless the second she heard the awful, high-pitched squeal that erupted from the forest. There was no time to waste or worry; Kagome ran towards it, doing the exact opposite of what had happened last time. She would not be afraid. She would not run away.

She felt her heartbeat speed up, pounding in her ears.

She was terrified.

Kagome clenched her jaw and kept running, looking around for any sign of a demon. With the wind, it seemed like everything that caught her eye was moving: the branches, the long grass, the leaves kicking up in the dirt. Clenching the bow so hard it started to hurt her hand, Kagome took a deep breath and tried to focus. She could do this.

And then something tackled her from the side. The shove itself wasn't that bad, but it was so surprising she stumbled, bow flying out of her hand as she crashed down into the grass. Searing pain throbbed down her arm and Kagome cried out, thrashing as hard as she could. She heard rather than felt whatever it was fall beside her. Before she could think about it, plan it or wonder of the consequences, Kagome tightened her grip on the arrow she still had and brought it down as hard as she could to her side, right where the thing was.

There was another horrific squeal and Kagome staggered to her knees, dark brown eyes finally resting on the cause of her pain.

A rat.

A massive, red-eyed rat, about three times the size of a regular one.

"Holy shit," Kagome breathed, watching as the demon imploded into light before disappearing completely.

Another squeal, only this time Kagome knew exactly what was happening. She stumbled to her feet, clutching the arrow and trying to draw another from her quiver. It was missing some – probably from her fall – but two would have to be enough.

She exhaled and tried not to scream when she saw another rat demon leaping for her.

Even knowing it had been coming, Kagome barely had time to aim or strike. The demon hit her flailing arm and missed the arrow's tip completely, landing on the grass with a hiss. It rolled, just enough that Kagome had to follow it to attack again and forcing her to miss yet another rat, jumping on her shoulder. She felt the bite first but only cried out as she struck the demon in its meaty side, the rat falling from her and imploding before it even hit the ground.

This time, when the first rat came at her, she struck it in mid-air, the tip piercing part of its face and tossing it to the ground.

Kagome needed to readjust her grip but her hands were slippery with blood. She spun to face the forest, wondering just how many rats were out there. The wind was still noisy enough that she couldn't tell if anything more was coming. There were no warning squeals.

"Crap," Kagome whispered, clutching at her arrows harder. Her right arm and left shoulder were throbbing fiercely and she could feel the trickle of blood sliding down. She tried not to shiver, forcing herself to ignore everything but the forest before her. She had to protect her family. They didn't know what lurked in the darkness.

Cracking branches distracted her and though she couldn't see, it was almost like she could feel the demon coming closer. Through the long grass, nearer and nearer to her body, Kagome braced herself for an attack. There was a tiny squeal just before a dark shape bounded from the ground, leaping at her. Without hesitating she stabbed at it with her arrows, knocking it down. She followed it, stabbing it again properly until the demon burst into nothing more than light.

"What the _hell_?" a familiar voice hissed.

Kagome looked up just as another squeal could be heard. The sound died part way through, like something had muzzled it. Or snapped its neck.

Inuyasha's furious expression was all too easy to see in the darkness. His hands and sweater were covered in blood. He growled at her, stalking closer until Kagome had to shake her arrow free and backup to maintain some space. "What are you doing outside?" the half-demon demanded, sounding angrier than Kagome had ever heard.

"Protecting my family," she snapped back, not missing a beat. She ignored the shiver that took over, hoping the half-demon wouldn't be paying enough attention. As it was, his golden gaze was piercing hers, like he was trying to get a read on her inner-most thoughts.

Inuyasha growled, spinning away abruptly. "We had it covered."

"So those four rats I killed never would have made it to my door?" It was mean, but true.

Instead of getting more irritated, the half-demon finally took a good look at her. Kagome held herself tight, hoping that she wouldn't start to shiver in that moment. She was so, so cold though and everything hurt. How was she going to train tomorrow with her arms all messed up?

"You're bleeding," Inuyasha muttered, coming right back into her space. He examined her left side briefly before turning her to see her arm, where everything felt like fire. "This is why you should have stayed inside," he said through gritted teeth. "We need to get you back to the house."

"Whether you like it or not, I'm going to do what I can to protect my family, you jerk." The statement was only a little ruined by her teeth chattering but she made sure her voice was firm. His hands were still on her arm and they were like brands, burning hot and feeling way too good.

"You–" Whatever Inuyasha was about to say was interrupted by a crashing in the forest. The half-demon swore under his breath, letting Kagome go. "Damn it, Miroku."

As if on cue, the black-haired teen fumbled through the tree line, chasing what had to have been another rat demon. It ran through the long grass and though the rat was big, the grass was far longer. Inuyasha ran forward and seemingly plucked the thing out in a single grab, twisting its neck and dropping it all within a few seconds.

Miroku ran up to him, panting and displeased. "I had it!"

"It had _you_ running," Inuyasha replied. "Any more?"

"No," Miroku replied, coughing slightly. "Not around me anyways. That was the last one." He looked around Inuyasha's frame and spotted her, waving even though a frown took over his face. "Didn't Sango tell you to stay inside?"

"I'm not going to just do _nothing_ ," Kagome hissed. She couldn't help herself now; she was fully shaking. She'd cross her arms over her chest but it would hurt too much. Her teeth started to chatter again.

Inuyasha let out of weird sort of growl, deep enough that it was barely audible over the wind. He came to her side then, unzipping his sweater and offering it. "Take this before you freeze to death."

Blinking at it, Kagome wasn't sure if taking the sweater was some form of acknowledgement that being outside was a mistake. The half-demon still seemed pissed off, his entire body tense and ready for a fight. "I'm fine."

"Take the damn sweater or I swear–" Inuyasha cut himself off with a growl. "You're so _difficult_."

"I am not. I'm just–" It was her turn to stop mid-speech. Inuyasha stepped right into her space again, draping his sweater over her shoulders and bring it to the front. Kagome could feel the heat from it instantly, soothing her. She dropped the bloody arrows and clutched at it, even though a part of her rebelled at giving in so easily. "I'll get blood all over it."

"Trust me," Miroku said from the side. He was closer now, enough that Kagome could see how bloody his own hands and clothes were. "We have a really good method for getting rid of the stains."

"She needs to get bandaged up," Inuyasha said. "Where's the ATV?"

"About ten minutes from here," Miroku answered. "We hopped off it when the rats split up."

The half-demon narrowed his eyes. "Where's Sango then?"

The way he asked the question had Miroku immediately hesitating. "She wasn't far from me, I swear." Miroku turned to look at the forest; all around them was nothing but silence. "She should be here. The rats split up but not that far. I could see her…"

Inuyasha waved a hand at him and Kagome watched as Miroku instantly shut his mouth, waiting. The silver-haired teen stared at the trees, his ears twitching. He cocked his head and while Kagome hadn't thought it was possible, his eyes narrowed even more. "Where the hell did she go?" Inuyasha asked harshly. He shook his head. "She– She's far away. She's not even close. I think she's fighting something, _for fuck's sake_."

"Fighting something bigger than the rat demons?" Miroku asked. "How? You said there wasn't anything around."

"Not at the time," Inuyasha snapped, already lowering to his knees. Kagome instantly climbed on, ignoring the pain in her arms as she wrapped them loosely around his neck. "But I've been tracking and listening to the rats, not anything else. She's in danger."

"Go!" Miroku yelled. He started to run for the forest and Inuyasha was behind him in seconds. "I'll catch up. Just go!"

Kagome didn't scream when they suddenly vaulted upwards towards the sky. She bit her lip though, hard enough to draw blood. In the darkness, she could barely see where Inuyasha was going. She ducked her head down and tried to focus on her breathing, on the sting of her lip when she ran her tongue over it. Sango was going to be fine. She was strong and smart. They would get there in time.

"Fuck," Inuyasha hissed, the curse only making Kagome's worry amp up higher. Her stomach was already in knots and when they unexpectedly plummeted back down to the forest floor, she felt a wave of nausea slam into her. They skidded around a tree and Kagome heard a fierce scream pierce the air. One moment they were flying and the next, Kagome was being thrown off, her body crashing down into the hard earth. Her head smashed into the ground and for a second, all she saw were bursts of colours and darkness, dancing across her vision.

"No!" Sango's shout sounded agonized and Kagome rolled, ignoring the fire in her arms as she tried her best to locate her friend. Sango was leaning against a tree, barely upright and bleeding from her stomach. She was looking across the clearing and Kagome followed her gaze to see Inuyasha on top of what looked like a massive, humanoid rat, claws at its throat. "No, Inuyasha! We need to ask it questions!"

"You almost _died_ ," Inuyasha growled out and even though she couldn't see a hint of it, Kagome could easily imagine a red tinge around his irises, just like when she first met him. "It's not going to give us anything."

"We have to try," Sango gasped out. She collapsed harder into the tree and Kagome ran over to her. All she saw was blood – on Sango's clothes, in her hair, all over her hands – but she reached out anyways, trying to steady her friend. Sango was too tired though, too heavy, and they collapsed into the dirt as Inuyasha snarled. Kagome could only keep track of one thing so she focused her gaze on Sango, on her breathing. The girl winced when Kagome shifted her but at least she wasn't lying on her side, bleeding out into the ground.

"What happened to you?" she asked, putting her hands over Sango's to cover whatever wound was in her stomach. Kagome couldn't get a good view with all the blood.

"This asshole jumped me," Sango hissed. "I knew it was around but I didn't see it until it was too late."

A massive thud landed by them and Kagome looked directly into the red eyes of the humanoid rat demon. It was strange, seeing the face of a rat so incredibly large. Everything except for the body was animalistic, even the long, thick tail. His yellowed teeth gleamed in the barely-there light. It almost looked like it was grinning but that couldn't be. Inuyasha had one hand around its neck and the other hand was stabbing slightly with his claws, enough to be a deadly threat.

"Why did you come to Sakura?" Inuyasha demanded. His voice wasn't as rough and angry as before, but Kagome could hear the tension, like he was coiled and just waiting for an excuse to slaughter the demon.

"Same as the others before me," the rat demon said. Its whiskers twitched.

Inuyasha pressed his knee into the demon's side, forcing it harder into the ground. "Be a bit more specific. Tell me and I'll make sure to kill you quickly."

The rat demon laughed then, a chittering sound as high-pitched as the squeals from earlier. "Even a slow death from you is better than the alternative." Its red eyes rolled towards Kagome and the lazy, almost-grin on its face grew. "You should run," the rat whispered. "Little priestess, you should run far away."

Kagome felt her entire body seize up, her breath catching in her throat at the words, at the playful tone of the thing's voice. It was too hard to take in her next breath and even though she wanted to, she couldn't look away.

The eyes were always red, just like in her dreams.

"He won't stop." Another whisker twitch. Another gleam of yellow teeth. "He'll never stop, not until he has you. You're dead, girl," the demon hissed. "You just don't know it yet."

And then, so quickly not even Inuyasha could react, the rat demon grabbed the half-demon's hand and forced it deeper into its neck, until the blood poured like a river from the slices. Thick crimson bubbled up to its muzzle, gagging it, flowing down to the forest floor.

It was dead.

* * *

 **TBC**

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 **Response to Anon Reviews:**

Anonymous: Hi dear! I think in order to manage expectations and to get a few things straight, I need to point out this is very much an AU. It's not even really a modern-day AU. This is a world were demons are not all good – I may even go so far as to say majority evil – as evidenced by the relatively large amount of off-screen characters I've killed. To be clear, this story isn't about a race war. Don't get me wrong: there will be discussion on this, but to explain it would be to ruin the next several chapters. However, this story is not the picture you're painting. I do hope you enjoy what's coming anyways, but if it's not your cup of tea, then I totally understand :)

Guest: Inuyasha has a lot of realizing to do with regards to Kagome. It's going to be slow but it's definitely there, and it's definitely starting. Ugh, yes, I know. I needed him to have that moment in his dreams, because his dreams are super important but that… That was me just wanting a special moment. Thanks darling!

Anon: Ah, I never forget about stories (trust me, all I think about is Thieves and IBTFY). This chapter was hell on my soul, but this one is absolutely getting finished. Even the other two on hiatus will. I work on them in between, as much as I can. Nothing will ever go unfinished :) Thank you so much! I'm so glad you're loving it!

Guest: Aw, thank you! It means a lot, honestly. I'm not sure why, but this chapter was so hard. It was like an uphill battle constantly. It's a huge turning point, whether you think so or not, but this chapter really sets up the next major story arc (we're still in one of three!). So I couldn't mess it up. Ugh, slow burn. Well, I'm glad you're enjoying it. It's driving me crazy XD Thanks dear!

Fuzzywazam: Oh man, don't say stuff like that. I'll get ideas hahaha XD Thanks a lot darling, as always!

Nyx: Thank you thank you! I wish I could write fast enough so you could binge at least a little…

Justanotheranon: WOW thank you so much! That's so honestly sweet of you to say. Thank you! Also, to answer your question, absolutely not. Kouga's entry to this story is going to be fucking great (if I do say so myself, and wow that sounded vain but like… I think his entrance is epic so…?)

Mal: Kagome is definitely having thoughts XD It's starting to happen and I'm partially super freaking excited and also terrified because I have no idea how this relationship is going to progress. But it's coming, man. It's coming! Also, we'll get a little bit of possessiveness in the future (just a smidge) thanks to the entrance of a certain demon I mention in my response just above. Thanks love!

Mace: Aw wow, thank you so much dear. This was such a lovely thing to read. Please don't worry though, this story is going to be finished come hell or high water. Honestly, if it goes unfinished it's because I died. This thing is so freaking plotted out, I have an excel spreadsheet with a billion tabs for it. This baby is getting done. I LOVE your reward system. I do the very same thing. Great minds think alike :)

Wolfsmaid: Thank you so much darling! As always, you're wonderful!

Hello: I'm so, so sorry it took so long. But he's the update! I hope you enjoyed it!

Darkness: Thanks! I definitely don't plan on abandoning it! Promise :D

Wakaii: Thank YOU for always leaving such kind messages. You're wonderful, dear.

Guest: Thank you so much! I hope this chapter lived up to expectations :)

Anonymous Reader: Haha aw you're too kind! Thank you. I'm so, so terribly sorry how late this chapter was. I promise to make it up to you all!

Squidsyd: Aw thank you so much! I hope this chapter was enjoyable, even with the delay. Thank you so much for reading!

Anonnnn: You have the patience of a saint. I am so, so sorry for how long this chapter took. I hope you accept this chapter as an early apology and I promise to update very, very soon so the next wait isn't as long. Thanks dear!

Logged Off: Thank you so much! It means a lot. I hope this chapter lived up to expectations :)

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 **Feedback, as always, is love.**


	10. Chapter 10

**Author's Note:** I apologize (again) for the delay. It wasn't writer's block this time, but rather just a busy life and a long chapter. I got a new job (yay!) but I've been travelling for it for the last few weeks, working pretty much from 8AM until 11PM every day. If I get undressed before passing out in the bed, it's a miracle.

Anyways, this chapter was getting quite long so it ended...not the way I planned. Please don't kill me.

 **Warning:** This chapter contains discussions about purposeful suicidal behaviour. If you have any triggers or concerns, please reach out to me prior to reading.

* * *

 **That Flesh of Mine**

 **Chapter Ten**

 _What about us? What about all the times you said you had the answers? What about us? What about all the broken happy ever afters? Oh, what about us? What about all the plans that ended in disaster? Oh, what about love? What about trust? What about us?_

 _(What About Us, Pink)_

* * *

All he could feel was the blood.

And then all he felt was anger.

Inuyasha could feel the snarl building up in his chest, vibrating before even a sound was made. It crawled its way up his throat, tingling and fiery, until he couldn't stop it. Standing up, he took as many steps away as he could, not enough to disappear but enough to get space. Blood was dripping down his fingers. Away from the girls – away from Kagome – it was all he could smell.

"Inuyasha!" Kagome called. She sounded panicked, a touch in pain. She was hurt. Sango was hurt.

The rat demon was dead.

Fuck.

Inuyasha went back to them, his ears twitching as they picked up the sound of an ATVs engine coming closer. He crouched down at Sango's side, pushing Kagome's hands away so he could take a better look. He had better vision than her anyways and if he was going to carry Sango back to the house, he had to make sure it wouldn't make her injuries worse. "You have to let me see," he said, brushing his friend's hands away.

"Shit," Sango breathed, making a face when she exhaled. Her hands slowly creeped away, revealing a long gash across most of her stomach. It was hard to tell in the darkness but it didn't seem extremely deep. There was so much blood though and not enough light.

"We'll get you back to the house." Inuyasha fished around Sango's pockets until he felt the phone, grabbing it and tossing it at Kagome. "Get the flashlight on and wave it in that direction. We need Miroku to see us."

"Got it." Her voice didn't shake but her hands did a little. The adrenaline was probably weaning out of her body, making everything hurt more and more. She stood up and carefully headed in the direction he pointed towards, the flashlight on and in the air.

Inuyasha looked Sango dead in the eye. "How bad?" he asked.

She made a face. "Honestly not great, but I think it's because of where it is. Every time I breathe it's like it's on fire."

The engine was getting louder, enough so that even Kagome could tell Miroku was closing in. The black-haired girl made her way back towards them. Inuyasha looked up at her, at the way his sweater hung baggy on her tiny frame, and the blood smeared across her cheek. "I'm going to take Sango back and you can ride with Miroku."

"Okay." Kagome clutched the sweater tighter towards her, shaking slightly.

Miroku finally came into view, practically skidding the ATV in his haste to brake. He killed the engine and hopped off, clearly terrified. Inuyasha could smell it on him. "Sango!"

"We're fine," she replied, covering her stomach gash back up with her hands. She winced as she did so. "I'm fine."

"Shit," Miroku gasped. He fell to his knees beside her, taking in the damage. "What happened? You were right beside me!"

"I saw one of the rats breaking off course, and I remembered something from my parents' journal. About hoards of demons, all of the same classification, working in groups like this. There's always a leader and I figured the rat was running back to one."

"Wait." Inuyasha felt his body tensing, the muscles clamping up even as he forced the words out. There was no way. Sango would never do something so intentionally irrational. And yet.

Yet.

"You knew?" he asked, voice rougher than he wanted it to be. It sounded more affected, more concerned.

"I didn't _know_ ," Sango answered, glaring at him. "I guessed. I chased the thing and out of nowhere, the demon jumped me. The journal never mentioned how big the leaders could–"

"Are you _kidding me_?" Miroku yelled. He stood up so quickly that even Inuyasha flinched, just the slightest bit. He understood why though, could feel his own self getting more and more angry as Sango's expression grew indignant. Miroku wasn't finished though. "You took off _on your own_ to chase down a lead? That's not part of our protocol!"

"It was just a hunch!" Sango yelled back. Inuyasha knew she was getting worked up, probably causing herself more pain, but in that moment he didn't care. The pieces were startling to click together on the board, and all of it pointed towards something he didn't want to process. "I didn't know it would be that big!"

"That's not the _point_! For fuck's sake, Sango, you never chase after demons alone!"

"The journal said–"

" _Fuck_ the journal," Miroku spat, cutting her off.

If she'd been physically able to, Sango would have pounced. She pushed her body forwards anyways, collapsing quickly and hissing at the effort. "What the fuck does that mean?" she snarled, curling her body inwards. "I was right, wasn't I?"

"You broke _protocol_ ," Miroku retorted.

"I was right!"

Inuyasha finally snapped, unable to keep his temper in check any longer. He punched at the ground, feeling the vibration of pain wrack up his arm. "There isn't such a thing as _right_ when it comes to demons and you goddamn well know that! You broke protocol and disbanded from the group. That's a goddamn rookie mistake. And I don't care what's in that journal; nothing in it is more valuable than your life."

"You don't get it!" Sango screamed. It must have hurt – it had to have hurt like crazy – but it didn't stop her from forcing herself to sit up, anger and spite pushing her forward. "It's the only thing I have of my parents! I trust them."

"They're dead, Sango!" Miroku yelled out, spinning around to shout it in her face. "They're not here. But if they were, they would be so mad at you for trying to kill yourself! That's what this is! This is you doing suicidal stunts out of undeserved guilt. Well, you don't get to fucking do that! Not here and not fucking now."

"You have no _idea_ what it's like–"

Growling, Inuyasha interrupted her before the sentence could even finish. "We're all fucking orphans here, Sango. Don't bullshit us."

"But I should have been _with them_!" Sango heaved in a massive breath and choked out what might have been a sob, had it been any other person. She didn't back down and she didn't lessen the sharpness of her tone as she spat out the next words. "I chose to stay home and do homework because I wanted to be normal for just one night of my life. And now, my entire family is dead. My _little brother_ is dead. He was twelve! It should have been me."

Inuyasha snarled. There was so much he wanted to say, but all of it was bottled up in the back of his throat. His tongue wouldn't move. His mouth wouldn't open. All the half-demon could do was clench his hands into fists until the pinpricks of pain distracted him from lashing out.

What a fucking idiot. Sango was one of the strongest people he knew and she was hurting. Of course she was. But she was going to get herself killed. This wasn't the first incident. Inuyasha had been watching since the fight with the lightning demons a week ago. Sango had pulled a stupid stunt then, running towards one of them while they were charging their attack. And what she did at home was almost worse: the barely-sleeping, the obsession over the journals, the food that didn't get eaten on her plate.

This wasn't going to continue. Inuyasha wouldn't let it.

"I'm taking you back to the house," he said roughly, grabbing her without warning. He was as gentle as he could possibly be, forcing himself to take care even though he wanted to smash something in, make something bleed.

"Oh, now you have nothing to say?" Sango spat out.

Miroku opened his mouth but Inuyasha knew exactly how it would go. Sango never listened to him anyways, not when it truly mattered. That was their own shit they needed to deal with and Inuyasha wasn't going to indulge in it tonight.

"Shut up," Inuyasha replied, glaring at her. Miroku heaved out a heavy breath and turned away, clearly pissed off and not knowing what to do with it.

"I–"

"Shut the fuck up, Sango," Inuyasha snapped. Her magenta eyes, so fiery before, dimmed near instantly. She looked almost taken aback; Inuyasha never spoke to her that way. "Miroku, I'll meet you back the house." It was only then that movement caught his eye: Kagome, edging very slightly towards him. Hell, he'd forgotten that she was even there. Her scent was just everywhere and she hadn't said a word during the fight. "Take Kagome with you," he added.

"Yeah," Miroku responded, voice tight.

It was the best he was going to get.

Kagome looked at him with wide brown eyes. She seemed scared but he didn't have time to help her. This was the life she had chosen to enter. It wasn't all glorious.

Inuyasha broke out into a run, afraid to jump in the air and hurt Sango worse. He could hear her breathing, loud and in pain. She had lost a lot of blood. Mushin may have to take her to the hospital.

"I'm not trying to kill myself," Sango gasped out suddenly. Her eyes – the pupils so large and pain-filled it was almost shocking to see – were practically boring holes into him.

He really didn't want to have this conversation, not when he was so angry. He contained his growl and said instead, "Doesn't look that way from my point of view."

"I'm not."

Inuyasha jumped – fuck it – and glared at Sango while they flew between the trees. "Tell me honestly you didn't think of your family while you tracked down the demon."

Sango frowned. "Of course I was, it was their journal–"

"Not about their journal," Inuyasha interrupted harshly, "about them. As you were trailing the rat demon, you were thinking about them, right? About being with them. Breakfasts, maybe. Family events?"

His friend bit her lip and she avoided his gaze.

"There's nothing wrong with missing them and hurting for them. But not like this."

Sango didn't say anything else as they got closer and closer to the house. The back lights were off – a by-product of them all rushing into action the moment Inuyasha smelled the hoard – but it wasn't an issue for him. He entered through the garage, hitting the lights on his way by for Miroku and taking Sango into the bathroom.

"You can put me down," Sango said but Inuyasha merely glared at her. He helped her to lie down as best as possible on the counter. "It's not that bad."

"Seriously, shut up," Inuyasha growled out. He ran the water from the tap, getting as much of it on a washcloth as he could. The room was about to become a disaster anyways.

"Inuyasha–"

"Sango, please stop talking." He could feel the rush in his veins, the anger. The way his body wanted to run and destroy and obliterate anything that came into his path. He was so upset and what he really needed, in that moment, was time to just take care of the shit-storm and then deal with it. But right now? It wasn't the time. Inuyasha would only say something he'd regret and Sango deserved better than that. "I really can't talk about this right now."

"You're pissed." She tightened her lips and slowly, the room filled with the scent of sadness. It wasn't unusual, not around her, but it was stronger. More potent.

"Yeah," Inuyasha answered, slowly, roughly. "You almost got yourself killed." The unspoken words sat in the back of his throat, sharp and acid-like. Inuyasha made a promise to protect his family a long time ago. That promise was nearly broken today.

Instead of dwelling on it, the half-demon shoved the thoughts to the back of his mind. He brought the washcloth over Sango's stomach and twisted it, letting the warm water fall. She hissed at the feeling, but the water managed to loosen some of the drying blood. Carefully, he tugged on Sango's shirt, trying his best to move the material out of the way of the gashes. He couldn't be sure, but they didn't look deep. The cut was just incredibly long. Maybe they wouldn't need a hospital after all.

"I'll need this off," Inuyasha said, already lifting the bottom of it. The clothing was absolutely filthy, covered in dirt from the forest.

Sango nodded and lifted her arms.

This wasn't the first time Inuyasha had had to take care of his friend his this. Both Sango and Miroku had gotten hurt tons of times – in training, in actual battles – and none of them were skittish about seeing another partially unclothed. It was weird, probably. Inuyasha didn't think anything about it. Sango was his best friend and her being in pain didn't equate to any kind of attractive situation.

Also, it was Sango. So, no.

Once the shirt was off, Inuyasha let it fall to the floor. Sango winced a little at the pull of her stomach when she arched her body back down into the counter. Her sports bra underneath was also covered in blood but it didn't seem like she was hurt any higher than the bottom of her ribcage. He wet the washcloth again, letting it gather water before once more pouring it over top of her stomach. It cleared away a tiny bit more blood, so the half-demon started to dab at the wound, doing his best to clean out the cut.

"This sucks," Sango mumbled, her fists clenched.

Inuyasha didn't respond. It probably wouldn't have been very nice anyways.

He could hear the garage door opening and closing. Miroku was speaking in low tones to Kagome, something Inuyasha could listen in on if he truly wanted. He kept his senses to himself though, rinsing the cloth again and again until he was satisfied that he got out all of the dirt. He went under the cabinet and pulled out the antiseptic.

"Shit," Sango cursed, eyeing it. "Do we have to?"

"You were rolling in the dirt," Inuyasha reminded her. He got another cloth out though and soaked it in the antiseptic, using that instead to treat her wound. Sango still hissed but she bit her lip and swallowed down any other noises that may have come out otherwise.

Miroku strode into the bathroom then with Kagome on his heels. He looked around, seeing the red-tinged water all over the counter and floor, plus the dirty washcloth and shirt left on the ground. "How is she?"

"No hospital," Inuyasha replied, knowing exactly what Miroku wanted. "She'll just need to take it easy."

"Should I go and get Mushin?"

Inuyasha shook his head. "I don't think so. I can take Kagome back."

At the mention of her name, Kagome started to take off the sweater. She grimaced as she did so, her tiny little gasp of pain hissing through the room. She was just a regular teenager, Inuyasha thought suddenly, as he bandaged Sango's midriff. Kagome wasn't used to pain, or fighting in the darkness, or any of it.

But she was still there, and without being told, Kagome sat down on the closed toilet seat and tried her best to roll up the sleeves of her oversized t-shirt.

"Here," Miroku said, going over and helping. Kagome let out a shaky breath and nodded, letting her hands fall limp to her lap.

"You're all good," Inuyasha replied, looking at Sango. "Go to bed, okay? Try to rest up."

"I'm not going to bed until Kagome's taken care of," Sango replied. She said it gently but Inuyasha knew it wasn't a soft plea. She was only trying to keep the peace.

It made him more irrationally angry, but he didn't show it. He looked at the black-haired girl with Miroku and sighed. "Then get more washcloths."

Inuyasha wanted to go to bed. He wanted to curl up in the dark and just fall into some sort of dreamless sleep. He felt nothing but exhaustion as he walked to where Kagome and Miroku were. Sitting down on the lip of the bathtub, Inuyasha watched as the two finished rolling up the sleeves.

"These don't look too bad," Miroku said carefully. He pointed to the bite mark on her arm, "This one is definitely the worst of it."

"Feels like the worst of it," Kagome mumbled. She blinked blearily and looked at Inuyasha, clearly just as tired as him. "What time is it?"

"I don't know. You had Miroku's phone."

Miroku sighed and reached into the pocket of his pants. Kagome must have given it back sometime during their ride to the house. "It's almost four."

Groaning, Kagome hung her head. Her hands twitched in her lap, like she wanted to do something with them but the pain was a stark reminder not to. "I need to get back. If Mom wakes up and I'm not there–"

"We'll get you back," Miroku assured, putting a hand on her uninjured shoulder. "Let's get you cleaned up first, okay?"

"Yeah." Kagome nodded and tried to force a smile when Sango came back into the room, some old but clean washcloths in hand. "I'm not sure how great this news is now, but I'll be here early tomorrow."

"We can just go back to sleep once you arrive," Sango said.

Inuyasha had wet both of the washcloths, and handed one to Miroku. The faster they could finish bandaging her up, the faster all of them could go to bed.

"She'll want to drive me so as long as someone can answer the door, we're good." Kagome broke off and hissed in pain, clearly unhappy as Inuyasha had to dig a bit to get out some dirt. It wasn't too bad though – not nearly as bad as Sango's wound had been – so he quickly finished up and got the antiseptic. Kagome had goosebumps all along her arms, and every once and a while she'd shiver, despite the pain. Her adrenaline was probably long gone, leaving her with the aftereffects.

"Okay, that should be it," Miroku said kindly.

Inuyasha prayed that it was it, that nothing else was coming their way. At least for the rest of the night. "Come on, I'll take you back."

Kagome was saying goodbye to their friends and Inuyasha quickly went into his room, changing into a different pair of sweatpants and another, thicker sweater. He threw his old pants and t-shirt in the wash; they were covered in blood but Miroku wasn't lying when he said they knew some ways around it. Just as he was about to leave, he ducked back in and grabbed another sweater.

"Here," he said, interrupting the conversation and not really caring about it. He tossed his sweater at Kagome, a zip-up one that shouldn't hurt her arms as much. "We'll be back soon. Don't wait up."

"See you tomorrow," Sango said, softly to Kagome. "I'll get you at the door, just text me."

Inuyasha didn't wait to hear more goodbyes. He headed towards the garage, eager to get Kagome home so he could go to bed. It would give him the space he needed to think the last few hours through, mainly on how he was going to take care of Sango.

"Hey, wait up!" Kagome called. Her footsteps followed him.

He grunted in response, or…something like it. All he did was crouch down, wanting to run and Kagome got on his back quickly enough, used to the drill by now. He left the house, not taking care like he did before with Sango. He _ran_. He leapt into the air at the first chance, feeling the wind push against his face and whip his hair. Kagome ducked behind his neck, her legs tightening around him like she always did when he ran like this, but she never said a word. Inuyasha was thankful for it, especially on a night like tonight.

It caught him by surprise then, when they finally broke the treeline on the other side, that Kagome spoke up at all. "Hey, go back down. I need my bow."

"What?" Inuyasha asked, startled.

"My bow! I left it earlier." Kagome pointed downwards so Inuyasha slowed, landing on the ground as softly as possible. She slid off the moment he released her and scoured the grass, looking. Inuyasha found her quiver on the ground, plus a couple scattered arrows. Two of them had blood all over.

Kagome came to his side and made a face. "I don't really want to touch those. Leave them by the rock and I'll deal with them sometime tomorrow."

"Aren't you going to be with us all day?"

Staring blankly at him for a moment, Kagome hesitated before finally saying, "Or the day after, whatever. It's really too early for me to think about this."

Inuyasha shrugged and Kagome came close enough to him that he figured she wanted to climb back on. It wasn't that far of a walk, but whatever. He wasn't going to question it. If she was even half as tired as he was, the girl probably didn't want to move for the next week.

"Can you take me to my window?" Kagome asked. "I left it unlocked."

The half-demon swivelled his head. "How did you get out?"

"Front door, but it's early and Mom's a light sleeper. If I walk through the house she'll hear me for sure. I can get my keys later."

Inuyasha had no idea where her keys were but he took her to the window anyways. It was simple enough to open, even with the frame being old and hardly used. He climbed inside first and then stood there, waiting for Kagome to start entering so he could help.

Kagome stared at him though, clearly off-put. "I don't know how to do this," she whispered.

"Legs first, I'll help you down."

"Um. Okay." She was gripping the outer window frame like it was a lifeline and slowly shifted her body so that she could get her legs inside. He heard her broken off hisses, where her arms were put under strain from moving her body through. There wasn't much the half-demon could do about it. The only thing he could help with was grabbing her feet as they swung down, giving her some sort of perch to balance on as she brought her upper body inside.

It was all going well until– Well, something happened. Inuyasha wasn't too sure. One second, everything was fine and the next, Kagome exhaled in a whoosh and her weight collapsed into his arms. The half-demon had to let go of her feet but he grabbed her waist, trying to keep her from crashing down into the nearby shelving unit.

"Crap," Kagome hissed, her expression twisted in pain. "That hurt."

Inuyasha narrowed his eyes. "What did you do?"

"I don't know, twisted my arm funny. The throbbing just got worse." She grabbed her arms with each hand, gently rubbing. "I don't know how you guys deal with getting hurt all the time."

Inuyasha rolled his eyes. "We try not to."

It was quiet for a moment, in which Kagome blinked up at him and he just…looked at her. Smelled her. In her room, the air was practically toxic in all of the best ways. There was nothing to pinpoint exactly what Kagome's scent was. It wasn't bad or good or– Or anything, really. It just existed, but it was powerful and intoxicating all the same.

"Uh."

In quick succession, Inuyasha realized that he was still holding the girl in his arms and that they were incredibly, unreasonably close. He let go of her instantly, taking three steps back like the distance meant anything at all in her room, with her scent wrapping around him like a blanket. Of all the places to sleep, this was absolutely not one of them.

"Try and get some rest," Inuyasha said quietly. He didn't look her in the eyes as he said it. It felt distinctly cowardly but he refused to look into why.

"Yeah," Kagome whispered. "You too."

Inuyasha didn't leap out the window, so much as he _launched_ himself out. It wasn't running away, he told himself. There was nothing to run away from.

At twenty-to-five, the half-demon entered the house, exhausted and very much alone. The place was the kind of quiet he loved, filled with soft breaths and slowed heartbeats. There was no danger on the horizon, and no fear leaking into the corners of the room.

Shucking off his clothes, he dived into the mattress, barely drawing the energy to get under the covers before closing his eyes and letting the darkness overcome him.

* * *

The kitchen was as bright as it always was.

The window over the sink was open, the tiny beige curtains blowing with the breeze that was steadily coming in. Inuyasha propped his head in his hand, staring outside at nothing in particular. He could hear his mother in the living room, humming along as she retrieved some book she'd been trying to find for the last hour. At a certain point, Inuyasha kind of stopped listening in. There was always something she was missing, even if it was as basic as her keys, or the spoon she was stirring the soup with.

"This place is so relaxing."

Inuyasha nodded and when he looked to the side, he wasn't surprised to see Kagome there. It was like she'd been sitting at his side all along, quiet and content in the kitchen of his childhood home.

She perked up then, face brightening as some thought entered her mind. "Hey! You promised you were going to show me that garden of yours. Don't you have tons of those valley lilies?"

"It's–" Inuyasha wrinkled his nose, not really sure why he told her that. The garden was never his thing; his mother loved it though, took care of every plant like another child. So many of his summers had been spent lying in the grass, looking up at the clouds while his mother murmured sweet nothings to the deaf ears on those she planted. "Yeah," he said eventually, wondering just how he was going to pull it off. "I can show you."

The two of them got up and headed towards the door. Outside was as beautiful as it looked; the sun shone brightly in between fluffy clouds. A warm, gentle breeze passed by, stirring up the smells of the forest just steps away from their house. Inuyasha took a moment breathe it all in. He missed this place. He missed it a lot.

"We miss you, too."

Inuyasha turned around and took in the soft smile of his mother. Her eyes were on his, a steady warmth that made his chest feel like it was caving in. "I thought you were in the living room."

"I was but getting trapped in that house all day…" She shook her head and the rest of the sentence disappeared along with the look in her eyes. "Aren't you going to see the flowers?"

The question confused him because he'd been with Kagome, only moments before. He looked around, nose desperately trying to catch the scent that seemed to never leave. But now– Now it was gone.

"You have to let things grow," his mother murmured. She came closer to him, palms raised up to cup his cheeks. He was taller than her by a good few inches but his mother simply looked up, some kind of pride shining in her eyes that he couldn't follow. He didn't understand.

This wasn't real.

His mother laughed a little but there were tears rolling down her cheeks. "We've missed you, too."

* * *

Inuyasha opened his eyes.

It took him a moment to figure out what was happening. His muscles were tense, on alert for movement or sound or both. He stayed perfectly still, ears straining for any kind of noise. It was only when he could control his breathing that he heard it: the car outside, pulling up and getting closer and closer.

Just down the hall, he heard muttered cursing. Sango let out a pained sound before getting to her feet. She left her bedroom and headed towards the front entrance.

Right. Kagome.

Inuyasha closed his eyes but he didn't dream of going back to sleep. Instead, he focused in on Sango's uneven breathing and the footfalls outside. He heard soft murmuring as the girl entered and his friend's grumbled response. The two of them came inside and the door was locked. Their feet shuffled unevenly back towards the bedroom.

It took them a few minutes but eventually the two girls were back in bed, trying to sleep. He listened to Sango's heartbeat and knew when she finally passed back out, her stomach injury still too much for her. Kagome took a while longer.

He wondered, for just a moment, if she dreamed.

Inuyasha blinked up at the ceiling and frowned at himself. What a ridiculous thought.

He couldn't even remember his own dream, other than it left a heavy, unsettling pit in his stomach. His mom... It had something to do with her. The fact that he couldn't remember made it even worse. How could you forget your own mom?

The question disturbed him so much that he sat up, needing some sort of action or movement to stop the thoughts in his head. He rubbed at his eyes, trying to not think at all.

A run. He should go for a run.

Inuyasha dragged on a pair of sweatpants and rummaged through his closet for a sweater. There weren't that many left, which meant Miroku was behind on laundry duty. There were probably too many that had blood on them.

The house was quiet. Inuyasha could only hear the faint sound of newspaper shuffling from where Mushin was reading it in the kitchen. He didn't bother stopping to say hi as he walked past, heading towards the garage on the other side. He left his feet bare and exited, feeling the crisp air instantly. It was windier than usual, making everything far colder. It didn't stop him from running though, from pushing himself forward until the lights disappeared and all he could smell and see and hear was the forest around him.

He ran.

He didn't stop.

He didn't stop until his mind was blissfully empty, a sort of blankness that only came from exertion. His lungs burned slightly but the half-demon wasn't sure if it was because of the air or from pushing himself. It didn't really matter anyways because clearly – mind empty or full – he always came back to the same place.

The mailbox was, despite everything, still standing, though the pink colour had long faded. He remembered as a child his mother painting it, telling him in between brush strokes that it made their home notable, even as deep in the forest as they were.

 _We're not hiding_. He remembered her saying it, the way she smiled at him gently and bopped his nose. She was always happy. _No one hiding has a pink mailbox_.

Inuyasha had no idea why he was there, staring at the burnt-out shell of a home. The breeze picked up and the teen stuffed his hands in his pockets, sitting down on the grass. It made a little bit of sense, at least. He had dreamed about his mother so of course he came here. Where else would he go?

Where else _could_ he go?

It wasn't a question he wanted to answer. Inuyasha answered it anyways.

* * *

He wasn't in a better mood by the time he returned home. It wasn't bad, per se, but there was a heaviness in his shoulders that he felt more acutely in the moment. Inuyasha exhaled sharply in the garage, wiping off his feet before stepping inside.

Regardless of what he was feeling, the day wasn't going to stop.

Mushin was still in the kitchen, reading the paper and idly tapping on the kitchen table every once and a while. The old man glanced up at Inuyasha's arrival, dark eyes serious. "Heard you had quite the night."

Inuyasha frowned. "How'd you find out?"

"Miroku woke me up after you left." Mushin grabbed at his teacup before frowning down at it. It was likely empty. "A hoard of rat demons?"

"Tons of them," Inuyasha confirmed. "They were headed towards Kagome's place but I smelled them in time."

For a moment, the old man let the two of them sit in complete silence before he sighed heavily. "What were you doing outside at that hour?"

The heavy, unhappy part of him wanted to snap out it wasn't the old man's business. Sure, he was Miroku and Sango's legal guardian but he sure as hell wasn't Inuyasha's. The guy was nice at all, but he didn't mean anything. He wasn't family, not in the way that Sango and Miroku were. An ally, maybe.

Still, Mushin had been a part of the demon world for a long, long time. He had never, not once, treated Inuyasha poorly, not even in the early years fresh after he'd lost his mother. Mushin had never been like Goryomaru and his little band of misfits. There had never been any judgement or fear.

"Inuyasha," the old man said gently, rubbing at his face. "I'm not dumb, just old. How long has it been since you've had a good sleep?"

It wasn't that he didn't want to answer. Inuyasha simply couldn't say. The truth of it was that it had been far, far too long.

Since September, at least.

Since Asato, Maiho and Kohaku had been killed, most likely.

He opened his mouth to try and explain but Mushin sighed loudly once more and waved at him. "Never mind, I have an idea." He folded up the paper and put it down on the table. For a second, he just looked at it, contemplating something. Inuyasha had no idea what. Eventually, he stood up and walked towards the fridge, pulling out all the ingredients needed to make breakfast.

Inuyasha waited for the other shoe to drop, getting out the proper pans and turning on the heating elements. He'd have to make a little more food since Kagome was there but timing was fine; he could already here them all slowly waking.

"I'm going to admit that I have no idea what to do with you kids." Mushin didn't look at him as he said it, didn't stop separating slices of bread and getting them ready in the toaster. "I can't fight alongside you and I know telling you to stop would be pointless."

The snarl built its way up his throat before he could stop it.

Mushin pointed a butter knife at him, giving him a flat look. "Exactly."

Inuyasha grimaced.

"But you kids keep getting hurt and you're not sleeping and frankly, I'm not even sure what Asato and Maiho were thinking when they put me in their will." The admission seemed to cost him something, his normally impassive face sagging morosely. Inuyasha didn't know Mushin all that well, other than the odd conversations they seemed to share over making food. He knew that taking care of Miroku had been his biggest challenge, and that giving Miroku to the Houko family had been both the smartest and hardest thing he'd ever done.

But Mushin was no father, no family man.

"Sango made a mistake," Inuyasha said, feeling compelled to somehow explain. "She fucked up and got hurt because of it. She's…grieving still and not coping well."

"I suggested counselling," Mushin admitted. The half-demon didn't know that, but he could instantly imagine the response.

"Sango's not one to discuss her feelings."

"Sounds like someone else I know."

Inuyasha rolled his eyes. He pointedly ignored the comment in favour for scrambling the eggs. He could hear Miroku already getting dressed and he was pretty sure Sango and Kagome were awake, shuffling around. It would only be a matter of minutes before one of them came into the kitchen and ended whatever sort of conversation he and Mushin were having. "As a heads up, today we're supposed to be going to that woman's house to talk about the last priestess. I'm going to tell Sango she can't come."

At that, the half-demon looked over at Mushin, who was nodding. "I saw her injuries last night. There's no way she could sit for an hour-long car ride."

"She's going to be pissed." Inuyasha shrugged, unbothered. He was still angry himself and last night had been so exhausting he didn't get a chance to really think any of it through. The half-demon was just _angry_. He exhaled loudly and flipped the eggs in the pan, over and over.

"I'm going to need more tea," Mushin mumbled.

A snort from the entry way interrupted and Miroku came in, dark circles under his eyes. "You always need tea."

"It's calming," the old man retorted.

Inuyasha gestured for Miroku to come closer and his best friend did, though with a frown on his face. They didn't have a lot of time and Inuyasha didn't have the opportunity to be nice about it. "You're staying back today with Sango. She can't come with us to meet the priestess' sister and someone needs to keep an eye on her."

Miroku shook his head. "I'm coming," he hissed. "After last night? I can't even look at her without wanting to punch something."

"I said _stay with her,_ not _look at her_." Sango was going to come in at any second. "I'd stay back but I have to drive."

"No–"

"Yes."

"Inuyasha–"

There was a hiss of pain and whatever the half-demon was going to respond with was forgotten instantly. Sango was slowly hobbling across the kitchen, Kagome right by her side and clearly looking nervous. His friend was clutching at her stomach, her other hand a clenched fist. Every movement seemed painful. Heading straight to the table, Sango sat down and sent Kagome a grateful look when the girl helped push in her chair.

Inuyasha raised a brow at Miroku, daring him to argue further.

"Damn you," Miroku muttered, so quiet that only Inuyasha could hear it.

Kagome came over, looking tired but not worse for wear. Her right arm, the one with the bad bite mark, was being held stiffly but there was colour in her cheeks. She didn't look completely exhausted, which was more than the rest of them could say. "Hey," she greeted. "Can I help bring anything over?"

"No," Inuyasha replied, turning away from them all to grab a bowl and scoop the eggs into it. Everyone could just serve themselves.

"What my charming friend means is that he has control issues, but appreciates the offer." Inuyasha didn't even have to look at the blue-eyed teen to know Miroku was smiling sweetly. This was payback, surely. "Did you want something to drink?"

Miroku and Kagome organized the cutlery and drinks while Inuyasha made sure the eggs and toast were servable. Mushin was staring intently at the teapot, waiting for it to finish boiling the water. He never ate with them anyways. Inuyasha put everything down on the table and sat himself, eyes automatically straying towards Sango. Unlike Kagome, she was pale, body tense like everything hurt to move. Considering it was a slice to her abdomen, even _breathing_ was going to hurt. Mostly, when he looked at her though, all he could feel was the familiar burn of his anger, simmering and waiting to explode.

How could she have been so stupid? So idiotic? Running away from the group towards a demon with zero backup? They could have _lost_ her.

Inuyasha would have never forgiven himself. Never.

It was infuriating.

"How are you feeling?" he asked anyways. His voice sounded raw, though it was hopefully his imagination. From the look Kagome gave him, that wasn't the case.

"Not great." Sango didn't meet his eyes. She scooped a tiny bit of eggs onto her plate and ignored the toast entirely. "I'll be fine though."

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Miroku tighten his grip on his fork, like he was holding himself back from saying something. Inuyasha knew his best friend was just as mad still, but it was almost nice to have that reaffirmation. Sango had truly done something stupid and it wasn't his paranoid anger making it a bigger deal than it was.

He swallowed down a piece of toast, staring at her. After about a minute she looked up, her magenta gaze unwavering. It made the next part easier. "When Kagome and I go to the sister's house, you're not coming." It didn't feel _good_ to say, but Inuyasha felt a sort of smugness when her expression morphed from shock to incredulousness. This was what happened when you put your life in unnecessary danger.

"What the hell?" Sango demanded, voice vicious. She slammed down her fork and it made her plate jump with the force of it. "Of course I'm going!"

"Not in the condition you're in," Inuyasha snapped, so furious it was all-consuming. All he had needed was the push back from him to get it all going, the righteous fire raging. "You nearly _died_ last night."

"You're being dramatic!" Sango yelled. "I got hurt, yeah, and it wasn't a scratch. But I was far from almost dying!"

"Inuyasha's right," Miroku added, somehow keeping his voice even. Inuyasha had to take a deep breath to stop himself from growling. "You can't spend two hours in that truck. You're in pain just eating breakfast."

Sango clenched her jaw. "You can't tell me what to do."

"Stop being so goddamn stubborn. You fucked up, Sango. You fucked up massively. You're not coming." Inuyasha finally did growl then, loud enough that Kagome was staring at him with massively wide eyes. "That's final."

"You're not my fucking _father_ ," Sango snarled, leaning forwards.

"Hey, calm down!" Miroku shouted, standing up from the table. "Sango, you know that's not what–"

"Oh, shut up, Miroku," Sango retorted, cutting him off. "Like you're any better. Remember last night?"

"The _hell_ is wrong with you?" Inuyasha snapped at her. Miroku sure as fuck didn't deserve–

" _Enough_!" The sound was so different, so unfamiliar that even Inuyasha reeled a bit. He whipped his head towards Mushin, who was standing beside the table with a mug of tea in hand. His face was red and his lips were in a thin, tight line. "Sango, you're not going."

"I said I'm going and–"

"No. I am not your father but I'm responsible for you whether I like it or not, so when I say you're not going, I mean it. You're not going."

Sango glared at him before pushing abruptly away from the table. Even though she was clearly trying to hide it, she gasped out in pain, struggling to stand up and leave.

"Wait, hold on, let me help," Kagome said suddenly, getting up too.

Inuyasha closed his eyes and took a deep breath, trying to settle back in his chair. There was a lot of muttered cursing, but eventually both of the girls left the room. The half-demon didn't want to be the first one to speak. What could he even really say? A lot of what had spewed out of Sango's mouth was unacceptable.

"I don't think I can help her," Miroku murmured quietly.

"It's not your job to," Mushin stated firmly. The chair on the far length of the table squeaked along the tile. Inuyasha listened for the clink of the mug as he set it down, the creak of the wood as he leaned back and got comfortable in the chair.

Miroku snorted. "It feels like abandoning her."

"It's more like taking care of yourself." Mushin huffed a little and then the crinkling of the newspaper could be heard. Opening his eyes, the half-demon watched as the old man returned to it, calm like nothing had even happened.

"She's pissed," Miroku said, "and I really doubt she's going to stay in her room all day. Telling her to do something usually makes her do the opposite."

"Which is why you need to make sure she doesn't kill herself crawling out a window." Inuyasha shrugged though, straining to listen in on the girls. He couldn't tell if Sango was huffing in pain, or sobbing. Both would be painful.

Sighing, Miroku scooped more eggs onto his plate. "If she tried to crawl out a window, at this point I might let her."

 _No, you won't_ , Inuyasha thought but didn't dare say out loud. Miroku was far too in love with her, no matter how angry he was. Even with the teen's scent doused in fury, Inuyasha would bet money that if Sango tried to hurt herself again, Miroku would be right there doing everything he could to stop her.

Love made people do stupid things.

"Yeah," was all he said though. He left the dishes on the table, knowing that Miroku would tidy up. Soon it would be time to leave and Inuyasha needed to get out of the house, away from the smells of pain and anger.

He really just needed to go.

Heading towards his bedroom, he grabbed a fresh change of clothes and then went to the bathroom he shared with Sango and Miroku. The half-demon locked the door with an almost vicious satisfaction and then turned the water on as hot as it could possibly go. For a long moment, he stared at himself in the mirror. Same long hair, probably more matted than it should be. After the run, he was almost terrified to brush it.

Same golden eyes.

His father had gold eyes. His mother used to tell him all the time.

When the mirror started to fog with the steam, Inuyasha turned away and took off his clothes. He grabbed a hair elastic from one of the drawers, ignoring the way the strands tugged as he twisted it on top of his head and tied it up. As much as washing his hair would help, Inuyasha knew he was going to spend a solid hour driving up to the woman's house. The sooner he and Kagome left, the faster it would all be done. He told himself that was the reason he didn't want to wash it, but really, he just hated the sound blow dryers made. _Whisper quiet_ , his ass.

The hot water was a blessing. Every muscle in his body instantly relaxed under the spray, the sound of water pounding against the sides of the tub. With all of the noise, it was easier to forget everything that was going on in the house – the whole Sango situation, Miroku's anger, Mushin's insecurities, and all the rest of it. Inuyasha wasn't sure when he became the stable fixture in the house but somehow it had happened. He didn't know how to feel about it.

Right now, he didn't exactly feel stable himself.

With a sigh, he washed up as quickly as possible and got out. Inuyasha tried to create a schedule in his mind for the day – when they should leave, how long it would take, when they should head home, where they would get food – all while getting ready. It was a needed distraction, his brain trying to stay occupied to ignore the sounds around him. He tugged down his shirt, pants already on, and stepped out of the bathroom far more purposefully than needed.

And almost hit someone.

"Shit," he cursed, barely stopping himself from knocking his shoulder into Kagome, who had just stepped out of Sango's room. The black-haired girl twisted and then looked up at him, blinking. And didn't say anything at all.

Inuyasha frowned. "What?"

It seemed to take a second but Kagome shook her head, eyes never leaving his face. "Nothing."

"Fine. Are you good to leave soon?"

Kagome nodded but then winced, looking down at her arm. "This morning when I jumped into the shower, I kind of ruined my bandages. I tried to keep everything dry but it's really hard when I can't raise my arms."

"Then we'll change them and go. Give me a minute and I'll meet you in there." Inuyasha gestured with his head towards the bathroom, watching the way the girl's gaze slid over to it.

He could tell that she wanted to say something, but Inuyasha didn't know what and he wasn't going to ask. Taking a step around her, the half-demon made his way down the hall towards his own bedroom, shutting himself inside. If someone asked, Inuyasha would snarl at them that he wasn't hiding out in there until he absolutely had to. His room was just nice to be in; there was no one in it and it was the only room that smelled completely his. Miroku and Sango, for all that they spent time with him, didn't go in his room and he…appreciated it. It was weird, craving his own space. He had never wanted it before.

Inuyasha stared at his closed bedroom door. He shouldn't delay. He should be refreshing Kagome's bandages. For a moment, he simply listened to the sounds of the house, trying to figure out where everyone was. Miroku and Mushin, he was pretty sure, were in the living room with the television on. Sango was in her room, near silent except for the ruffling of the bedsheets.

 _Stop delaying._ The faster he got out of the house, the better. It would give him room to clear his head.

When he re-entered the bathroom, Kagome was sitting down on the countertop, staring at herself in the mirror with squinty eyes. Inuyasha had absolutely no idea what she was doing. "Why are–"

"Oh my god," Kagome gasped out, spinning around quickly to stare at him with wide eyes. "You scared me."

Inuyasha raised a brow but didn't otherwise comment. He picked up the first aid kit under the sink that contained all of the gauze and antibacterial creams, and opened it. "Which arm?"

"The bad one," Kagome answered, showing him her right arm. "My shoulder stayed pretty dry."

"You should have just wrapped it." Inuyasha carefully undid the gauze, making sure to be gentle at the end. Miroku always complained that he was too quick when the bandage was likely stuck to the skin.

Kagome sighed a little, like she was frustrated. "I've never gotten hurt like this before."

Pausing for a second, Inuyasha looked at her. "You're the one that went out in the middle of the night in your pajamas to fight rat demons."

" _Really_?" she asked, voice almost reedy.

"You were wearing a t-shirt and sweatpants," Inuyasha recalled, wiping at her arm quickly before adding more cream.

"I– I–"

Whatever she was going to say seemed to strangle itself out. Inuyasha waited only a moment before figuring it wasn't that important. He positioned one of the gauze rolls at her arm, nodding to it. "Can you hold this down?"

Her tiny hand took the end and held it there, allowing for him to start to wrap it around her arm. Her wound didn't look too bad, all things considered. It would probably be another day or two before it was actually starting to really heal. The rat demon had dug in deep.

Inuyasha chanced a quick look at her face, to see if she was in pain, but frowned when he saw her. The girl's face was a bit red, dark brown eyes averted to the floor. "What?" he asked.

"Stop asking me that," Kagome replied, almost a whine, and Inuyasha could _smell_ the embarrassment on her. "Did you want to leave now or what?" she asked, trying to change the subject.

It was confusing enough that Inuyasha didn't even bother trying to decipher what was going on in her head. He shrugged. "Yeah, we should go," Inuyasha replied, finishing up the wrapping job and closing the first aid kit. "I'm just going to talk to Miroku quickly."

Kagome slid off the countertop but before she went anywhere, she turned around. "Sango should have her bandages changed too."

"Miroku can help her."

She wrinkled her nose at him. "Is that the best idea?"

"You think I'm going to be any better?" Inuyasha retorted harshly before he could help himself. "Did you miss breakfast or something?"

Kagome only hesitated for a moment. "No."

It was the hesitation that got to him, that metaphorically hit him in the gut and forced him to draw a breath. All he could smell was the familiarity of home, of Miroku and Sango and him together. But on top of that was Kagome's scent, slowly creeping in. It had been doing it for a while.

"Sango and Miroku will be fine," he said eventually, stepping away. "They need to navigate their own issues. We'll leave in five?"

"Yeah, okay."

He didn't stick around to judge how her tone sounded, or to see what her face looked like. Inuyasha left the bathroom and made a beeline for the living room. Miroku and Mushin were sitting around just like he expected, watching an old rerun of some TV show Inuyasha was only vaguely familiar with. He stared at his friend and leaned a hip on the couch, waiting. Miroku didn't make him wait long.

"When are you heading out?" he asked.

"Now." Inuyasha eyed Mushin for a bit but the old man appeared to be engrossed in some book, another cup of tea by his side. "Sango's going to need her bandages redone."

Miroku sighed, but it sounded more resigned than actually upset. This wasn't the first time they had ever gotten hurt and had to take care of each other. It was probably the first time though that they were fighting as badly as they were. "I'll make sure she's good."

"Don't kill each other."

Blue eyes rolled and his best friend soon levelled him with an unimpressed glare. "You should be telling that to her, not me."

"Yeah, I know."

Miroku watched him for a few seconds longer, enough that Inuyasha had to force down the urge to fidget. Slowly, his friend reached out and lightly punched him on the arm. "We're not wrong in this. She messed up."

Nodding, the half-demon held back the other words he wanted to say, the things he thought of that probably none of the rest of them did. Like how, despite Mushin being the guardian, it was Inuyasha's job to protect them all. He was the strongest, the fastest. And it almost hadn't been enough because one member wanted to test the limits.

"It's okay to be mad at her, Inuyasha," Miroku continued, taking his silence as confliction. It was, but not in the way his blue-eyed friend knew.

"I know," he replied with instead. "Call me if you need anything."

Miroku nodded but before the half-demon could disappear, his friend pointed at his head. "You going to go out like that?"

Scowling, Inuyasha touched his hair and remembered that it was, in fact, still up from the shower. He tugged out the elastic and flung the band at Miroku's head. "Happy?"

"Only when you are," his friend replied, grinning far too widely.

It wasn't even worth trying to get the last word.

Inuyasha could hear Kagome already standing in the foyer, so he made his way to her. She was looking upset in the direction of Sango's bedroom, but Inuyasha ignored it and grabbed his baseball cap. The keys were right by the door and without looking back, he finally – _finally_ – took a step outside.

The first breath of outside air was great.

Then Kagome followed him, stepping in close as she shut the door, and it was all her scent again. Damn it. Inuyasha looked up at the sky – cloudy, grey – and prayed that the drive went by quickly. It wasn't even warm enough to have the window open without raising a lot of questioning looks.

"How long do you think we'll be there for?" Kagome asked, following him towards the truck and straying to the passenger side.

The half-demon shrugged. "Depends on what she says, I guess. Mushin was sure she'd be able to answer some questions."

The black-haired girl seemed to take that in as they got into the vehicle. Inuyasha focused on getting it started, buckling up and debating just how overpowering her scent was going to be. It seemed…fine, even in the relatively enclosed space. Maybe he was getting used to it.

It took a few minutes; Kagome was silent for most of the drive out of the forested area and into the subdivision. It wasn't until he turned onto the main road that she looked at him, curious. "Do you think she'll be able to help?"

Inuyasha honestly had no goddamn clue. Mushin seemed to think so but the information had been vague, at best. They didn't even know her name, just that she was willing to meet them and her address. In any other situation, that would sound like a trap. "Probably," he answered eventually, when her dark gaze didn't leave his face. "If she was the sister of the last priestess, maybe she knows about that power you have."

"Yeah," Kagome murmured, turning away to look out the window. "I guess."

Inuyasha listened as the girl started to pick at her nails. Something was clearly on her mind but he didn't know what. It could be anything. The whole Sango thing seemed to be bothering her a lot, especially her relationship with Miroku. Though, it could just as easily be about demons, or the way she purified them with only a touch. Maybe about why all of the demons seemed to want to kill her.

And really, that was why Inuyasha was going. His theory about the demon attacks needed to be vetted and Mushin just wasn't the best to talk to about it. If the woman was truly who she said she was, then there was a good chance that whatever was happening to Kagome had happened to her sister.

"So I hear you're the person to talk to for homework help."

The question was so out of left-field that Inuyasha frowned at the road, trying to parcel together how the question even came to be. "Why would you say that?"

Kagome waved her hands in the air – whatever that meant – before shrugging. "Sango said that you're always helping Miroku with his homework."

"Sometimes?" It came out like a question and Inuyasha spared a quick glance at the girl before looking back at the road. "He's only two years younger than me so I remember most of the material. He hates math so it's usually that. Or geography." Kagome was still looking at him expectantly, like there was more he was supposed to say. He had no idea what but before he could question it, he found himself going on. "I was home schooled and Maiho was a pretty good teacher."

"Sango's mom?"

Inuyasha nodded. "And my mom taught me too, before." He shut his mouth then, a little horrified at himself. Where the _hell_ had that come from? It wasn't like he ever forgot about his mother but… It had to have been the dream from last night, stirring whatever crap was in his head and making it easier to say out loud.

He braced himself for some sort of question about her, about what happened, but Kagome simply nodded and looked back out the window. "When did you move in with Sango?"

"When I was nine. They took me in, just like they had Miroku. It was kind of Asato's thing, taking care of strays."

"They sound like they were really wonderful people. I'm kind of sad my mom never got to meet them. She probably could have used some friends like that." Kagome smiled, a little sad, before shrugging. "She had my grandfather, at least. He's a bit crazy now, with all of his news watching but it keeps him entertained."

"Like Mushin with his newspaper."

"And tea!" Kagome grinned and it was so bright, Inuyasha had to tear his gaze back onto the road. "Why does he always drink tea? I don't think I've ever seen him without a cup."

It continued on like that for most of the hour. Every time their conversation started to lull, she'd bring up some random topic and it would go on, uninterrupted. It was mostly her talking, commenting on things at school or her lunches with Sango and Miroku. She went on about her younger brother too, and how his crush of epic proportions was both hilarious and kind of terrifying.

"My biggest fear is catching him making out with some girl," Kagome commented, nose wrinkled and expression sour. "I don't think I'm ready for that."

"Isn't he ten?"

"Twelve."

"…I think you're okay for a bit."

Kagome only stopped talking when they entered the subdivision of where the woman lived, the houses all cookie-cutter and neatly trimmed. Inuyasha couldn't read her expression because she was staring out the passenger side window, but he could hear the way her heartbeat sped up. Nothing else about her screamed nervousness though so Inuyasha remained quiet, trying to keep track of the street names.

Inuyasha narrowed his eyes at one sign and then made a turn, counting down the houses until he slowly pulled to a stop. The house was a sandy brown, with red brick accents and a white porch. There wasn't any vehicle in the driveway but the woman had promised Mushin she'd be home all day. If she wasn't home, Inuyasha wasn't sure what they would do. "This is it."

Kagome nodded, once and final. She didn't move.

He waited a moment, sensing that the girl wasn't going to do anything without more prompting. "You ready to go, or what?"

At that, Kagome narrowed her eyes at him. "Go? You have to come with me."

"I don't _have to_." Inuyasha caught movement in the corner of his eye and there, on the porch, was a woman in her sixties, standing there with a stern expression on her face.

Kagome obviously caught on and swivelled her head to look. It was only a second before she was back to glaring at him, dark brown eyes wide. "You are not leaving me alone with a stranger."

"She seems nice." He was so distracted with the old lady that he didn't stop Kagome's hand from jabbing him in the ribs. "Ow, _hey_."

"You're coming with," Kagome hissed.

Rolling his eyes, Inuyasha turned off the car and started to get out. He hadn't really been planning on going inside, but that was back when Miroku and Sango were supposed to be riding along with them. He didn't _meet_ new people. The half-demon thing kind of took away any sort of options that made it possible. Meeting the younger sister of a priestess? Potentially wouldn't go all that well.

Kagome was pointedly waiting for him on the other side of the car, refusing to take a step forward until he was by her side. Inuyasha scoffed, and for whatever reason it made the black-haired girl smile, just a little. Her pleasure from his pain, or something like that.

"Thanks," she whispered quietly.

"Whatever," Inuyasha mumbled. The woman had to have seen him – his silver hair, maybe even that his eyes were an unusual shade. The hat could only do so much. He listened in to her heartbeat, trying to get a sense of what was to come. Would she be upset by him? He hadn't asked Mushin if the old woman knew, and since he hadn't planned on meeting her before it hadn't crossed his mind to find out. Now though… Now he was screwed if it was a problem.

There was a tiny tug on the sleeve of his sweater, and Inuyasha looked down just in time to see Kagome's hand let go and fall back to her side. He tried to throw her some sort of questioning glance, but she seemingly wasn't paying him any sort of attention. Her smile was directed at the woman, a little forced but there nonetheless.

"Hi there," Kagome called out. She even waved.

The old woman, he could tell, was trying to see them more clearly. Her head pushed forward and her eyes squinted. Her heartbeat remained steady as she looked over Inuyasha, seemingly unbothered by his appearance. Mushin must have told her then.

But then, her eyes raked over Kagome and it was a near-instant reaction. Her heartbeat sped up, she took a step back, and her mouth opened with a sharp inhale. Inuyasha didn't hesitate; he stopped dead, halfway up the porch steps, and tugged on Kagome until she was shuffling back behind him. He waited, eyes trained on the grey-haired woman as she seemed to notice their newfound stalling. She let out a long breath and straightened up, giving a smile.

"I'm sorry. My apologies," the old woman said, lowering her head slightly and showing her hands. Her hair fell slightly into her face, falling from the ponytail holding it in the back. "I am not a threat. I was just…taken aback."

Inuyasha narrowed his gaze, unwilling to let it go. She hadn't been upset by him, but by Kagome. Out of the two of them, she was worried about _Kagome_. "Why?"

"It's– It'll be easier to explain once we're inside. I'm afraid without proof you won't believe me."

Kagome glanced his way, as if seeking some sort of affirmation. Inuyasha didn't sense any danger, and whatever had startled the woman earlier wasn't affecting her anymore. He could hear her heartbeat slow, see the way she took a step closer without hesitation. The old woman had just seemed so genuinely shocked. Inuyasha shrugged and waited as Kagome let go of him to follow the woman into the house.

"My name is Kaede," the old woman said, leading them inside. She brought them to a small but cozy living room, filled to the brim with books of all shapes and sizes. The bookshelves were crammed full and any flat surface held at least a few more. Inuyasha could smell the paper and the ink, the soft scent of leather. "It's a pleasure to meet you. Mushin told me a lot about you all."

Inuyasha snorted. "He didn't exactly do the same."

"He means," Kagome cut in, shooting him a look, "that all we know about you is that you're the sister of a priestess, and that you may know a lot of information we need."

"Ah, well, I can do that." Kaede sat down in a big armchair, her hands running up the sides. "I have been a part of his world for many years and while my sister was a priestess, I have…other talents."

He barely held himself back from rolling his eyes. He was going to kill Mushin.

"What does that mean?" Kagome asked.

"I can see things, child."

For fuck's sake. "You're kidding me," Inuyasha drawled, crossing his arms. The more time they spent in the tiny house, the more it all just seemed like complete crap. "You're – what – a fortune teller?"

"Trust me, boy, I don't tell any fortunes." The old woman raised an eyebrow, like a challenge. Her eyes, grey and sharp, were hard like granite.

She was serious. Inuyasha raised his eyebrows back but didn't comment. Whatever. If she told fortunes or not, that wasn't why they were there. They needed information on what Kagome was, on what she was experiencing. Plus, Inuyasha had his theory to vet.

"Can you…tell us about your sister?" Kagome asked tentatively, breaking the silence.

Kaede nodded, turning her attention back to the black-haired girl. "My sister was a priestess and protected many lands during her lifetime. Her name was Kikyo."

"Kikyo," Kagome whispered. "And she was the last one?"

Kaede nodded again, though her hand moved in a seesaw motion. "We believe so though with the world so large, it's quite hard to say. While the demon slaying community is quite vast, international borders can be, as you'd expect, difficult to overcome."

"When did she know?" Kagome asked. "That she was a priestess?"

The old woman's grey eyes nearly danced and she gestured towards her couches. "Please sit. I'm happy to explain everything."

Inuyasha didn't particularly want to sit but Kagome was happy enough to do so, sitting down on an oversized blue couch with multiple blankets tossed haphazardly across it. While Kaede went to retrieve something from one of the shelves, Kagome glanced over at him intently. She pointed at the spot beside her.

The half-demon shook his head.

Rolling her eyes, Kagome pointed aggressively at the couch, making a face at him.

"Here it is!" the old woman announced, holding a rather large binder in her hands. She placed it on the table before Kagome and sat down in a nearby chair. "Open it," she encouraged. "It'll be easier to explain."

The moment Kagome opened the binder – a photo album, actually – she froze, hand hovering over the images like she wanted to touch. Inuyasha couldn't get a good look, not from where he was. He slid to the side of the couch and then slowly sat down, further away than Kagome had suggested but close enough that he could see whatever it was she was seeing. And–

Inuyasha blinked and stared at the photo some more.

"That's… That's your sister?" Kagome asked, shock evident in the sound.

Kaede nodded. "Kikyo. She was older than me, and more than that, older than her years. We knew about her powers when I was young, the first time we ever ran into a demon."

Kikyo looked exactly like Kagome. Or, Kagome looked exactly like her. Inuyasha wasn't sure which way was technically correct, but he figured it didn't matter. They were…so similar. Long black hair, dark brown eyes. Their jawline was the same, the tilt of their noses. Some features were a bit different: Kagome's eyes were bigger, her hair a little wilder. But to be so similar? And both priestesses?

What were the fucking chances?

Inuyasha would bet money they were slim-to-none.

Kagome flipped through the album, slowly but surely unravelling what appeared to be old family photos. It almost seemed more insane the more photos they looked at. They could've been twins, her and Kikyo.

"My sister saved me. We were on a family picnic and I wandered off. I was only ten at the time," Kaede explained. "I think I was picking flowers. One moment, I was by myself and the next, there was a demon on top of me, trying to claw out my chest. Kikyo had come looking for me and when she saw the demon, she ran at it. Touched it. The thing screamed like it was in pain and then disappeared back to where it had come from. I thought it was some kind of nightmare."

"But it wasn't," Kagome murmured softly.

"No, child, it wasn't." Kaede steepled her fingers over her stomach and leaned forward, intent to tell her story. "Our parents thought we were crazy. When we refused to tell a different story, our mother sent us to psychiatrist after psychiatrist. They were all the same; none of them believed a word we said. It wasn't until one day that this man came in, bursting in on a session like all hell would break loose if he didn't. He said he believed us. He told us that we were right. He told us about the world of demons."

"Did that…help?" Kagome asked.

Kaede shook her head. "Not really. Our parents never understood and thought both of us were sick in the head. They thought it was all some sort of scheme. Kikyo and I only had each other. To be so small, and to learn about the worst creatures you could imagine come to life?" She sighed. "It only started to get better when the psychiatrist told us that Kikyo was a priestess. That she had powers that could purify demons instantly, if she had training."

Inuyasha frowned. Training? He remembered earlier in her story that Kikyo had touched the demon but it had been wounded, not immediately purified. Not like Kagome.

"So my sister put in the work. She trained with him for hours every day. He helped us to find a place and made sure we had food. He had a friend come and train us to fight, though I was never really good at it."

"Wait a second," Inuyasha interrupted. "Your sister had to train to purify demons?"

"Well yes, of course," the old woman answered, seemingly taken aback. "All priestesses have to learn to use their powers. To purify something takes a lot of energy, a lot of will. You have to focus that intent, visualize it until it becomes a reality."

Inuyasha glanced over at Kagome, who was clasping her hands so tightly they were ghostly white. "Yeah," he said slowly, looking back at Kaede. "Kagome purified a demon on her first try."

Frowning, the woman prodded, "Purified as in…?"

"As in imploded in a big ball of white light. As in the air was practically fucking electrified from her powers."

"You've felt it?" Kaede demanded. "You've felt her energy?"

"I am a half-demon," Inuyasha drawled. "The hat isn't that great of a disguise."

Kagome exhaled loudly, shaking her head.

"This is remarkable," Kaede said slowly. "I thought a lot of our discussion would be able how to train your powers and how I could help. But you can already kill a demon with one touch?"

"Touching them, or with my arrows." The black-haired girl bit her lower lip, considering. "I would like to know more though, about the powers. Mushin gave me some books about priestesses but I don't really get it still."

"We can do that," Kaede replied, nodding. "We can plan days to specifically train, just you and I."

"That would be great," Kagome said, the words practically tumbling out of her.

Inuyasha crossed his arms and sunk further into the couch. "It would also be helpful to know how to hide her powers, or protect her from the other demons. I'm not sure how much Mushin told you, but demons are flooding to Sakura, and all of them are after her." He jabbed a finger her way, and ignored the way Kagome shot him yet another look. He couldn't read her damn mind. "I think something is coming to Sakura, something big, and they're looking to take her out and remove her as a threat."

For a moment, the old woman just sat there and stared at him, those grey eyes searching. She learned forward, frowning. "What do you mean, hide her powers?"

"Hide them," Inuyasha replied, confused. How much clearer could he be? "Make it so that she's not a goddamn beacon. They can all sense her power." Or at least, that's what he figured. Inuyasha couldn't really sense it, but Kagome's scent was unusually strong, the sort of potency the drove him insane.

"Demons cannot sense a priestess' power," Kaede explained, extremely slow. "Unless Kagome is constantly purifying things, a demon wouldn't know until it's too late. That was why priestesses were the protectors of their villages, living amongst their people. How else could they protect a village if their presence actually made things worse?"

That… Inuyasha hadn't thought of that.

"Then how come the demons can sense me?" Kagome asked.

Sitting back in the armchair, Kaede shook her head. "It shouldn't be possible."

"Well, it's happening so I don't know what to tell you," Inuyasha snapped, irritated. "So what are we going to do to protect her?"

The old woman didn't react at all to his anger and frustration. She merely nodded, like she had come to some sort of decision. "We do everything we can until we find out."

* * *

It didn't get better after that. Inuyasha sat back and stewed, feeling fury nipping at his heels while the two women talked about her powers and her experiences so far with demon slaying. Kagome explained the night they had met, how the centipede demon had come after her in the woods. The whole time she recalled the story, the half-demon tried to figure it out: _how_ were the demons finding her? Was it just scent alone?

But if priestesses were supposed to be hidden figures, completely unnoticed for their powers until a demon had already struck… Then it couldn't be scent. Or was Kagome just different? If so, why was she different?

What did it even _mean_?

"We should probably get going," Kagome said kindly, her hand landing briefly on Inuyasha's arm to get his attention. "We don't want to impose."

Inuyasha frowned at the clock on the far wall. It had already been two hours. Had they really been there for so long?

"I'm just going to go to the bathroom before we head out," Kagome said, standing up from the couch. "Where is it?"

"Down that hall there, child, and to the left." Kaede gave her a small smile, watching her with those light grey eyes until she was gone. The sound of a door closing echoed and Inuyasha could just make out the click of the lock. He stood up himself, hoping to try and make it out the door before the old woman could spew anything else at him. He was still trying to wrap his head around the whole Kagome-shouldn't-be-attracting-demons thing.

"Inuyasha."

The half-demon sighed, louder than he meant to. When he faced the old woman, she was staring at him with an expression far more serious than he'd seen all afternoon. Her lips were in a tight, thin line.

"You need to listen to me," she said, voice hushed and quick. "You must protect her."

"We already went over that," Inuyasha replied. "Its what we've been doing. It's why we came here, to find a better way. Which, I'll add, you know nothing about."

But even as he was talking, Kaede was shaking her head at him. "No, you're not listening. I've seen her future. I've seen how she dies."

Inuyasha froze. No. That wasn't– That couldn't be right. " _How_?" he demanded, voice both louder and sharper than he intended. " _When_?"

"I don't–"

" _No,_ " he growled. "When did you fucking see her future? You said you don't do fortunes."

Kaede was silent for only a second. Her eyes were unwavering on him, like she was assessing everything that came out of his mouth. "What part of death could ever be considered a _fortune?_ There's nothing fortunate about what I'm saying, Inuyasha. And I saw it the moment that I saw her. Outside, on the porch."

It was bullshit. It was all some goddamn lie. There was no way. No one saw _futures_. No one had powers like this. It was all bull–

"I watched her soul get pulled from her body," the old woman whispered, horrified. Inuyasha could hear it in her voice. Whatever Kaede thought she saw, she believed it. She reeked of fear, the scent leaking into the cozy living room and making it sour. "I watched her soul get ripped out and you're the one standing over her body."

He didn't want to listen. He didn't want to know.

Kaede stood up then, hands raised like some innocent. She took one step, and then another, and all Inuyasha could do was watch as she came closer, until her palms rested on his shoulders. This was wrong. This was _wrong_.

"She gives her soul to you, Inuyasha," Kaede murmured, a hush in the otherwise quiet house. "She dies for you."

* * *

 **Responses to Anon Reviews:**

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DilMil: Oh god, I know. I have proper excuses but it sucks. I hate taking so long to update and write. I really wanted this chapter done…like two weeks after I posted nine. My goals are clearly too ambitious for my life haha. Thank you dear :) Hope you liked the chapter!

Faye-chan: Thank you, thank you! Ah, that's so great to hear. You're wonderful!

NS: AH REALLY? That's amazing. There are few better compliments, so thank you so much :') Seriously, I'M impatient for the slow burn to end but I don't actually know how it's going to so… I'll just let my fingers type it out whenever they feel it's time. Thanks again love!

Anon: Same day update (hahaha the only time I'll ever be able to say THAT). Everything is good just…hectic, as I mentioned at the top. But definitely very good! Thanks darling!

Dami: Aw, thank you so much love. That's so sweet of you. I always hate taking forever, not just for you guys but because I want to write, you know? But you all have no idea how much it means to me that I have you guys for the support. It's unbelievable. Thank you, thank you dear!

Plolp: Oh wow, thank you so much! That's so amazing of you to say, considering how many stories there are out there :) Thanks so much. I hope you enjoyed this chapter!

Lola1991: Thank you so much darling! I hope you enjoyed this chapter too :D

Mal: I'm really hoping to be able to do a chapter that really showcases Kagome's grandpa. He's just so fun and there's a lot of potential there. We'll see how things go but I've certainly planned for him to get a tiny bit of star time…. OH, AND YAS BE SUSPICIOUS WAAAA. I adore you immensely. Thank you!

The Well: I have missed you too! I hope everything is going good with you! And trust me, Inuyasha at Kagome's window is going to become A Thing :D Thanks darling!

Jess: Thank you so much darling! For me, in that running scene in chapter 9, Inuyasha didn't want Kagome to necessarily say anything. He made an assumption on how Kagome was feeling and when she corrected him it was like a shock that a) he was reaching out to her like that at all and b) that he cared, especially when from the beginning he was very much opposed to taking care of her. So it's a shift – the start of one anyways – and I hope you enjoy the rest of it :)

Guest: I am so glad that you did :D Thank you!

Guest: SO happy that you enjoyed it dear. Thanks so much!

Shook: Thank you dear! Sorry for the wait, but I hope you liked this chapter anyways :D

HELLO: Hahahaha thank you! I'm so happy you're loving this. Hopefully this long-ass chapter was worth the wait!

* * *

 **I can't ever thank you all enough for all of your support these last few months. It... It's overwhelming, sometimes, and looking at your reviews, reading your comments and opening your private messages have always been such a safe place for me. So thank you for that. I adore each and every one of you.**

 **I have been posting tiny tidbits of TFOM, plus doing little drabbles on my tumblr. Feel free to add me.**

 **As always, feedback is love.**


	11. Chapter 11

**Author's Note:** Firstly, a massive thank you to everyone who has stuck around with this story! It's been exactly a year since I posted it and you've all been so incredibly kind to me on this journey. So thank you! Secondly, this is a huge chapter (about 20,000 words when usually they're only around 10,000-14,000) so please take your time. Don't forget to sleep :) There is a second author's note at the bottom, to try and quell any worries about future chapters you may have.

 **Day 4 of the 12 Days of Witchyness**

 **Warnings:** This chapter is an emotional roller coaster and deals with a lot of grief relating to past character deaths. Not just Sango, but all of them. There are also graphic depictions of anxiety attacks, although some of them are stopped prior to being bad. If you have questions or concerns, or wish to know more before reading, don't hesitate to message me here or on tumblr. Please be safe, friends.

* * *

 **That Flesh of Mine**

 **Chapter Eleven**

 _It takes a lot to find your way back far from home. But sticks and stones won't break our bones, no. So struck your fire in the darkest night to let me know we might come down but not alone._

 _(Follow, Blasterjaxx)_

* * *

She didn't look any different.

But she was different.

Kagome stared at herself in the mirror, at the bags under her eyes and the sharp paleness of her skin. She was exhausted. Even the extra nap with Sango that morning hadn't really been enough to make up for the rat demon attack. And now… Now, she was sitting with Kaede and Inuyasha and learning that she was different.

More powerful, maybe.

A beacon for demons, definitely.

But not because she was priestess. It didn't make sense.

Sighing, Kagome turned on the tap and washed her hands. She and Inuyasha would be leaving, hopefully grabbing some sort of food on the way back. She was starving and it was past lunchtime. There had to be something nearby they could grab. She turned off the lights and headed back into the living room, hearing the soft voice of the old woman talking to Inuyasha.

"Yeah, I understand," Inuyasha said, voice sharper than it needed to be.

Kagome frowned. "Understand what?"

Kaede turned to look at her, inclining her head. "That I've got to move to Sakura," she said. "My duty lies in helping you and if you'd let me, to train you. I've spent more than enough time with my sister to know what can help you hone your powers."

"Really?" Kagome smiled then, shocked but unsure of what else to do. "Are you sure? You don't have to. I mean, it would be great but–"

"It's already settled," the old woman said firmly, nodding. "Don't you worry about me. I've lived through more than you've yet seen."

Inuyasha was glaring at the floor, which Kagome found strange. He hadn't exactly been _friendly_ to Kaede, but this was something else entirely. She just couldn't pinpoint what it was.

"That's great then," she replied finally.

There were more pleasantries and promises – Kaede said she would call once she was able to settle everything – but the two of them managed to leave the house pretty quickly. Inuyasha was silent, barely nodding his head as they said goodbye. Kagome waited until they were both back in the truck, buckled in with the engine running before she opened her mouth to speak.

"Wh–"

"Don't," Inuyasha interrupted.

Staring, Kagome had no idea what to do. "What?"

"Don't ask," he stated firmly, golden eyes locked on the road as they left the subdivision.

"But I don't get why–"

" _Kagome_."

He said her name. It was enough to make the question die in her throat, her eyes locked on the clench of his jaw and the tightness of his lips. Whatever the hell it was, it was serious. Kagome didn't know how to handle that, not from him. Inuyasha always seemed a little bit angry, a little bit on edge with the weight of the world on his shoulders. But this was more than that.

"Okay," she said eventually, voice barely more than a murmur. "Can I just ask one thing?" Inuyasha glanced at her briefly out of the side of his eye before grunting. She took it as an affirmative. "Whenever you can, whenever you're…fine or whatever. Can you tell me then?"

The half-demon's fists clenched around the steering wheel. His eyes never left the road. "Maybe."

That was likely as good as she was going to get. Kagome accepted it – for now – and twisted to look out the passenger side window, at the fields they drove by, the rows almost mesmerizing.

And then she remembered, turning back around to face him. "Can we please get some food? I'm starving."

Sighing loudly, the half-demon rolled his eyes before looking at her. It wasn't a sad look, or an angry look. It was normal, or as normal as the half-demon ever got around her. "Fine," he mumbled, "but you're buying."

* * *

Kagome felt her hand ache as she scribbled out the last of her math problems, trying to show her work in solving a stupid radical expression. She hated math, so much. Especially on Sunday nights, when she had to finish a massive amount of textbook questions in a short amount of time. Checking the clock, she saw that it was nine at night already. She tried not to groan, staring down at her paperwork. She had really wanted to get a head start on that geography project but that definitely wasn't happening tonight. She was better off packing everything up and dealing with it tomorrow at lunch.

It only took her a few moments, but she put her books and homework back in her bag, getting it ready for the next morning. She could hear her brother playing his usual rock music in the room next door, so she went downstairs to the living room. Her grandfather was there, just like he always was. And just like usual, he was watching the news.

"Can't you get hooked on watching some TV show?" Kagome asked, sitting down on the neighbouring couch and tucking her feet into the cushion. "There are a few good ones I could recommend."

"Your mother already says that to me once a day. Don't you start too," her grandfather replied, giving her the side-eye before waving at the television. "Besides, how else would I know about the murderer still wandering free just an hour away from us, huh?"

He always said things like that, every time. Kagome watched some of the news segment, trying to put together exactly what it was talking about. After the mention of a returning nephew, she narrowed her eyes. "Wait, is this the same guy that mysteriously came back from a trip after, like, a decade?"

"Same guy!" Grandpa exclaimed, clearly pleased that she remembered. "They even think that he murdered his great-aunt! They think it was over money, but I'm not so sure."

"Why not?"

"He had the money and it was only so much. The family wasn't rich so it wasn't like he could get more." Her grandfather huffed. "I think he wasn't the real nephew and it was all some scam that the lady caught onto. She went to get her money back and _bam!_ They got her."

Raising a brow, Kagome looked at him with surprise. "You think it was a scam?"

"Everything else is, why not this?" Her grandfather held up his hand and pointed on his fingers as he spoke. "A teenager got tens of thousands of dollars off of some internet scam! Then there's all the government phone calls where they threaten to arrest you if you don't pay! Then there's the whole business scam with the CEO's asking their managers for more money for a 'special project.'" He waved his arms then, clearly disgruntled. "I mean, everything is a scam! This is why I don't like talking to people."

"Other than us, of course," Kagome replied, fully grinning at him. Maybe watching him was better than any other TV show.

"Well, obviously." Her grandfather sniffed haughtily, and for a moment, they simply sat in the living room and listened to the news. A lot of it was about politics, but it eventually rounded back out to a missing persons case in Wells, the town over.

"There's good news sometimes." The statement dragged her attention away, brought her gaze to the long, grey goatee he was stroking. "Like the police cat who brought down a crime lord."

That couldn't be true. "You're kidding me."

"I'm not."

"Grandpa, I think you've been watching far too much TV."

In the other room, Kagome heard her mother call for her. It sounded like she was yelling up the stairs, so she leaned forward as best as she could to see out the living room opening. "Mom, I'm over here!"

Her mother's kind face came into view, her gaze softening as she came in. "Did you finally get everything done?"

"Yeah," Kagome replied, ignoring the part of her brain that thought of her geography project. Whatever, she had wanted to work ahead. Just a little bit of cramming and she'd be fine. "Math took forever. Ms. Tanaka gave us like thirty questions on this new subject and I barely understand it."

"I hated math too," her mom confessed, nodding. "Your father was always really good at it. I never understood why."

" _I'm_ good at math," Grandpa interjected, raising an unimpressed brow their way. "Why don't you ask me for help?"

Kagome could only imagine what that would be like. She laughed a little, thoughts swirling in her mind of her grandfather yelling and waving his arms trying to explain the concept of monomials to her. Yeah, it wasn't going to happen. "I didn't know that! Next time I get stuck, I'll come find you."

Sirens blasted on the news, some sort of emergency scene behind a reporter. Kagome spared it a glance but before she could learn more about it, her mother touched her arm. She smiled at her. "You okay?"

"Just wondering when you're going to get me that list," her mother answers, amusement in her eyes. "You know, the list you've promised me forever now."

Kagome groaned and leaned back into the couch. "There's still time!"

"It's a week away," she replied. "Sota loves telling me what he wants for his birthday."

"That's because he's young." Kagome waved an arm dismissively, remembering how her younger brother practically wrote a novel of every single thing he wanted. "I'm good with gift cards."

" _Gift cards_." Her grandfather snorted derisively. "What a crock."

She was definitely not going to argue with him about that again. Kagome looked at her mom helplessly. "Can I let you know by tomorrow?"

Sighing, her mom nodded. "But no later! Please?"

"Okay, Mom," Kagome answered. Her mother worked so hard, it was weird for her to ask for things. Kagome never really liked doing it. Sota was too young to remember, but she could recall the days when her mother was crying at night, or sitting at the kitchen table staring at a calculator and a pile of bills. Her grandfather was pretty much the reason they were able to stay afloat, until her mom was able to start making a living with her own at-home business. It took a while, but things were far more settled by the time Sota was old enough to really understand.

But Kagome knew.

"Are you sure you don't want to go out?" Her mother looked worried by the fact that Kagome just wanted to stay home and hang out with her family. It wasn't like she had ever had a big, wild party before. She preferred to just stay in and relax. It was less stressful that way. She'd probably have a McDonald's dinner with Yuka, Eri and Ayumi the day before and that was that.

"No, I'd rather be here." Kagome tried the most convincing smile she could, trying to hit home the fact that she _really did_ want to be with them. "No one can beat your cooking."

Her mom scoffed but the corner of her lips pulled upwards, higher and higher.

* * *

Monday and Tuesday were…rough. It was the first time in the last two months that Kagome wanted to avoid Miroku and Sango. Not because they were mean to her or throwing around accusations, but because the two of them clearly weren't getting along. The first time she had lunch with them was beyond awkward – the dead silence, the refusing the look each other in the eye – and it didn't get any better hanging out with them in between periods. So Kagome avoided them completely on Tuesday, sticking to Yuka, Eri and Ayumi and listening to them ramble on about boys and music and the fun things girls her age _should_ be talking about. She hated that a part of her couldn't stand the conversation, not when she knew the truth about demons and the very real danger they were all in.

At lunch on Wednesday, it was almost a shock to have Sango standing at her locker already waiting. The girl looked worse for wear, the bags under her eyes a little heavier than usual. She had a thick sweater and her hat on, so Kagome took that as a sign they were going outside. It wasn't warm, not any longer, but it was still above zero. It Sango wanted to go out then… There had to be a reason.

"Hey," Kagome greeted, trying her best to be cheerful. "How's it going?"

"It's going," her friend answered, shrugging and giving a tiny smile. "I'm feeling a lot better though."

There was sincerity in her tone, but Kagome barely believed it. Sango didn't _look_ like she was any better. "Your stomach?"

"Yeah, it's getting there. I think I only woke up a couple times last night." Sango tapped at the straps of her backpack. "I have what's probably now lukewarm hot chocolate in a thermos. Did you want to eat outside with me?"

"Sure, I brought a coat today." Kagome tossed her books in and grabbed her lunch. She swung on her coat and followed the black-haired girl through the hallways, heading towards the back sports field.

"I have an extra hat if you want it. How were your classes so far?"

Kagome hid the frown that wanted to show. Sango brought hot chocolate _and_ an extra hat? Kind of like she planned to have lunch like this, outside? Something must have been going on. She opened her mouth to ask if Miroku was at the bleachers already but barely held herself back. If Miroku was involved, surely he would be with them?

"Classes were fine, I guess," Kagome replied easily. "I have math later though so I'm really not excited for that. Ms. Tanaka's been assigning so much homework. It took me forever to do last night."

"Well if she assigns more questions, we can work on them together. I'm not great but Inuyasha's pretty good at that stuff."

"I feel like all I ever do is catch up on work," Kagome groaned. "When will it be over?"

"The holidays are like…a month and a half away?" Sango made a face, scrunching her nose and making Kagome laugh.

"That's not helpful!"

"Hey, I can only do so much," Sango replied, grinning. But the smile wasn't really there, not fully.

Kagome felt the first tendrils of anxiety slip its way into her bloodstream. She took a few deep breaths as they walked towards the bleachers outside, ignoring the cold and the way her heartbeat demanded to make itself known. Whatever was going on, she needed to be strong.

They sat down midway through the wooden benches. Sango opened up her backpack and pulled out a massive thermos. She handed it over to Kagome and then pulled out her lunch bag. She didn't unzip it though, instead staring at the thing like it was telling her a laundry list of secrets. She watched as her friend toyed with the zipper and didn't make a move otherwise.

"Hey," Kagome prodded gently, scooting over on the bleachers until their shoulders touched. _Are you okay_ seemed like such a stupid question. The girl was far from okay. Licking her lips, she struggled to say anything until words finally just left her mouth, unbidden. "What's going on with you?"

At that, Sango snorted. She spared her a quick glance of seemingly wry amusement, but Kagome could see the glassiness of her eyes. "I hate talking about my feelings," Sango said then. To her credit, her voice barely trembled. Her fingers still deftly played with the lunch bag's zipper. "I…don't want to."

Kagome blinked, a little confused but nodded. "You don't have to–"

"But I'm pretty sure if I don't say anything, I'm going to explode. Or do something stupid, like chase down another demon by myself. Or maybe next time actually get myself killed." Her voice cracked at the end, and the magenta-eyed girl pointedly looked down. Kagome didn't need to see her face though to hear the tears. It broke her heart instantly and Kagome set the thermos down in front of her so that she could wrap her arms around her friend. Sango didn't move or cling back. She was frozen and petrified, and Kagome understood that more than the other girl probably knew.

"I'm not exactly a prize case when it comes to emotional stability," she said eventually, rubbing her hands up and down Sango's arms. "I mean, I have anxiety attacks that are nearly crippling. There are days I'm pretty sure I can't get out of bed. And…" Kagome blew out a long breath. "To be honest, I have no idea why I have them."

"The demons?" Sango's voice was quiet.

"No. I've had them since I was little and I've had a generally easy life. It seems really stupid when I say it out loud."

There was nothing but silence for a long while. Kagome kept up her hug, enjoying the warmth against the cold of the outdoors. There were so few students around that the field was near silent; the sounds of passing cars on the neighbouring road were the only real noise.

She didn't know how long they sat there like that, huddled and sad, before Sango lifted her head. She still didn't make eye contact, but her lips parted and her voice, when she spoke, was strong. "I've really messed up this time. I mean, I didn't think it could get worse than choosing homework over a demon hunt and letting my family all die. But somehow Inuyasha and Miroku–" She took a breath, the exhale shaky. "Somehow their disappointment is a billion times worse."

"I know you don't want to hear this – from me or anyone else probably – but your family's death wasn't your fault." Kagome shook her head. "We're all going to keep telling you that until you believe it."

Sango laughed but the sound was bitter in the air.

"But yeah, chasing after the demon wasn't your best move, and I'm probably your second biggest fan."

"Only second?" Sango sniffed and pulled back slightly. It was enough for Kagome to let go, to focus instead on the thermos and finally get it open.

Taking a sip, Kagome wondered if she should say the next bit. Would it make things better? Worse? Could it _get_ any worse? She handed the thermos to Sango, making sure to look her dead in the eye. "You know who your number one fan is."

At that, Sango held her gaze for a long moment before taking a sip herself. She shrugged. "Probably not anymore," she answered quietly. "I've never seen him so mad at me. I mean, he won't even be in the same–" Sango choked up and forced herself to cough through it. She wiped at her eyes and there was no part of Kagome that didn't hurt. "He won't be in the same room as me. Not even for breakfast or dinner." She was almost whispering, so full of shame and despair it was like every part of her was trying to get smaller and smaller. "Going after the demon was a mistake but what I really fucked up was what I said to him. And to Inuyasha. To them both."

Kagome stole the thermos back but toyed with the lid before saying anything. "Have you tried talking to them? Like, cornering them somewhere and just…telling them the truth?"

"I've thought about it." Sango didn't give up more than that though.

"They're not going to be mad at you forever and I think they're more scared at the fact that they almost lost you." Kagome shrugged. "Inuyasha just seems unhappy. Not angry anymore."

Frowning, Sango gave her a quizzical look. "When did you see him?"

It was a half-second before Kagome understood and then she remembered. Sango and Miroku didn't know about their morning runs. _Right_. They didn't know that she saw him basically every day. She shrugged again, helpless. "I was talking about when we were in the car going to Kaede's. He didn't seem mad anymore. He seemed worried. I think he calmed down after the whole rat demon thing." To avoid saying anything else she'd regret, Kagome took a long drink of hot chocolate. It was still warm, despite the air and when it was made. She hummed a little and handed it back to her friend. "Just think about talking to them. Start with Inuyasha and…work your way up to Miroku, if you're that worried."

"Yeah, I guess." Sango took a drink herself and then stood up, grabbing at her bag. "Did you want to eat lunch inside? We still have time and it's colder out here than I thought."

There was still a sadness about her but when Kagome looked at her, the girl seemed less weighed down. It could have been her imagination but she hoped not. Kagome nodded and followed the girl back across the field, heading towards the building. They were uncharacteristically quiet but it was still comfortable. Kagome liked Sango, a lot. The girl had her baggage and faults, but she was just a genuinely good person. She tried. She _cared_. It was more than a lot of people did.

Suddenly, Sango stopped a few feet away from the doors and sighed loudly. It was a rough exhale and Kagome looked back at her worried. Before she could say anything though, Sango pursed her lips. "Look, I–" She huffed again and then took a few quick steps forward, wrapping Kagome up in a hug she definitely didn't expect. "It's not stupid," Sango said firmly, right by her ear. "Your anxiety. It's not stupid. And it's not stupid that you have it even though you don't think you've had it bad. That's not why people get anxiety anyways."

Kagome hesitated only a second before returning the embrace, knowing full well that this wasn't something to take for granted. She took a moment to respond, sure the smile on her face was a little goofy. Unexpected declarations seemed to get to her and the whole lunch period had been one big emotional roller coaster. "Thanks," she murmured gratefully.

The hug went on for a little while longer. Neither of them were counting.

* * *

Sango's words wouldn't leave her head.

Kagome sat through her art class in a bit of a daze, barely paying attention to anything that was happening. It was easier there; her good friends weren't in class with her, so she had time to process. It didn't get any better though once the bell had rung, signalling the start of fourth period. Both Yuka and Eri shared math with her and Kagome tried not to groan at the thought of listening to a teacher that clearly hated them all.

At least the day was almost over.

As Kagome walked towards Ms. Tanaka's class, she replayed her conversation with the magenta-eyed girl. There was so much pain in her. So much doubt and worry and grief. Kagome didn't know what to do for her, other than to just be there as much as she could. Miroku and Inuyasha couldn't be mad at Sango forever; eventually something would give. It had to.

Maybe tonight, Kagome could try to encourage it a little. They weren't going to be training so it would likely just be food and hanging out. Maybe the boys wouldn't force Sango to hide out in her room. Maybe…

'Maybe' a lot of things. Kagome sighed.

The moment she sat down beside Eri, her friend looked over at her, face morphing instantly into one of concern. "Hey, are you okay?"

"What happened?" Yuka asked, barely missing a beat.

"Oh, it's nothing," Kagome replied, trying for a smile. "I promise. I just have a lot on my mind."

Neither of them seemed to be buying it. Eri leaned forward, her dark gaze intent. "Like what?" she asked, not unkindly. "Is it your boyfriend?"

"He's–" _Not my boyfriend_ , which she couldn't really say any longer. Not since she falsely let them think that. Dear god, that particular lie was the last thing she wanted to remember. "No, not him. I haven't been sleeping well," she pressed. Another lie. What was one more?

Class started, a lucky break that Kagome was thankful for. She listened to the teacher drone on, teaching them new math equations for more complicated problem sets. It took up most of the class but when it came time to assigning more work, Ms. Tanaka informed them that there wouldn't be any. Kagome blinked, surprised, looking at her friends for confirmation.

"This is the best day ever," Eri whispered.

"Shh, don't jinx it. There's still five minutes left," Yuka hissed. "She could change her mind."

They were given a handout sheet that involved filling in some formulas, but it was simple enough to finish before class ended. Everyone seemed to be in a fantastic mood, getting up early and chatting with their friends. Ms. Tanaka was helping a few students out but otherwise the day seemed to be done. They were just waiting for the bell.

"Why do you think she's being so nice?" Kagome asked, suspicious. "I mean, this is the first time she's ever given us no homework."

"Maybe she got laid," Yuka suggested in a loud whisper.

Eri rolled her eyes. "Isn't she married?"

"I don't know," her friend replied. "I'm just throwing ideas out there. Your guess is as good as mine."

Kagome hummed just as the bell went off, signalling the end of the day. They all headed towards their lockers and Kagome waved goodbye since hers was a bit further down. She wasn't in a rush anyways. Inuyasha wouldn't be picking them up until later.

"Hey! Kagome!"

Trying not to make a face, she turned around and smiled at Hojo, who was standing beside her nervously. He looked good – he _always_ looked good – but his hands were clenching the straps of his backpack like he was preparing for something. Kagome had a hard time holding back a frown, confused. "Hey, what's up?" she asked, more than a little concerned.

"Not too much," Hojo replied. He grinned at her sunnily and just like that he seemed to relax, his death-grip gone lax. "Just heading to the Charity Ball meeting. Tickets go on sale tomorrow so we're making sure it's all ready."

Crap. _Crap_. Of course. The dance that all of her friends had been talking about since September. It was one of the school's biggest fundraisers and one of the most popular events. Everyone dressed up and the night was filled with dancing. It was almost like prom but anyone who bought a ticket could go, not just the seniors.

And Hojo was now awkwardly standing before her with a bright smile, even though he had been really nervous moments before.

Alarm bells started to go off.

Laughing a little, Kagome waved at him for absolutely no reason and then tried to bury herself in her locker, pretending to look for something. "Oh yeah!" she called out, maybe a touch too loudly. "You're on the planning committee, right? You must be so busy."

Could she text Sango an SOS message? Would Hojo notice?

"You have archery so I don't think I'm that much busier," he replied easily. Kagome could see him scuff the toe of his shoe since she was looking down, and not at his face. "Do you think you're going to go?"

"Oh, me?" Kagome looked at him for a moment before chickening out and looking back in her locker. She grabbed a textbook at random and shoved it in her bag. "I don't know. I'm still trying to figure it out."

"Your boyfriend can't come." At that, Kagome glanced at him in surprise. Hojo seemed to realize how that sounded and then blushed, stammering a little. "I mean– That came out weird. I meant that because he's not a student here, he can't buy a ticket. So, you'd be going alone."

Was he trying to ask her out platonically? Hojo didn't seem like the meddling type and she had made it pretty clear to him in their shared history class that she _was_ involved with someone. Hojo didn't like it, obviously, because he thought Inuyasha was mean and probably abusive. She couldn't change that perception though, not without the full truth. Even then, no one would believe her. But Hojo didn't seem like the type to ask out a girl who had a boyfriend already. That seemed really out of character.

But what if he was?

What if he asked and Kagome had to answer?

She couldn't risk it.

"I guess, yeah. If I went!" Kagome added quickly. She flashed him a smile. "Tickets go on sale tomorrow, right?"

"Yeah I–"

"Amazing! I'll check it out and see. Who knows? Maybe me, Yuka, Eri and Ayumi will all be each other's dates." Kagome laughed a little awkwardly and then looked at her phone like it was important. It wasn't; it was a blank screen but Hojo didn't know that. "Sorry, I have to go. My ride is here. I'll talk to you tomorrow, right? History class?"

He was clenching the straps of his backpack again, but Hojo was still smiling at her. "Yeah, I'll be there. Have a good night, Kagome."

"Bye Hojo!" She slammed closed her locker and booked it. It wasn't _running_ but it was pretty close. She was around the corner in a flash, heading towards the side entrance. Her conversation with Hojo had delayed things but the buses would only be leaving around now. She still had time. Inuyasha probably wasn't even there yet.

Both Miroku and Sango were outside, leaning against opposite railings and not talking. They looked at her in near unison when she burst through the door, her coat in her hands and her backpack half-on. Leaving awkward conversations were the worst. She dropped her bag and went to put on her jacket, ignoring the twin looks of confusion.

"Are you okay?" Miroku asked slowly.

"Yes," Kagome sighed out. "Just avoiding Charity Ball dates."

"Wow, getting asked before tickets even go on sale." Miroku wiggled his eyebrows, his blue eyes dancing with mirth. "Go Kagome."

"It's not like that!" she promised. She leaned on the rail beside Sango and nudged at her shoulder playfully. "There's just this guy and my friends have been hounding me forever about him. He's really nice and all, but–" She shrugged. She'd never really been able to explain it properly.

Sango raised a brow at her. "Hojo, right?"

Groaning seemed to be the appropriate response. She closed her eyes and tilted her head back to the sky in defeat. "How do _you_ know?"

Her friend gave a small smile, almost secretive. "He started talking to me in math class."

Kagome looked at her in horror. Oh no. She told Hojo that Inuyasha was a friend of Sango's. If he asked Sango about him, saying that Kagome said he was her _boyfriend_ –

And just like that, the familiar pick-up truck pulled right up to the door. Inuyasha's scowling face was visible and it made every part of her want to _die_.

"Finally," Miroku mumbled, rubbing his hands together. "I was getting cold."

"We could have waited inside," Sango answered, voice a little quieter than usual. It wasn't bold or matter-of-fact, like she was worried how the blue-eyed teen would take it.

Miroku shrugged but didn't otherwise answer. Kagome was about to comment on it to dispel the tension when suddenly the school doors behind them burst open and her name seemed to come from nowhere.

"Kagome!"

And then she recognized the voice.

Eri was smiling at her, Yuka and Ayumi right behind. She came right up and hugged Kagome, looking like a proud parent. "Did Hojo ask you out?"

"What?" Kagome looked frantically at Sango, then Inuyasha in the driver's seat, and then back to her friends in quick succession. This couldn't be happening. There was no way.

"Hojo! I saw him at your locker. We didn't want him to see us and get spooked but he looked all nervous and stuff approaching you. Did he ask you to Charity Ball?"

"Why would he ask me to Charity Ball?" Kagome asked, desperation making her grit her teeth. "Hojo knows I'm not interested."

"Told you," Yuka said in singsong, looking smug. "Hojo isn't going to go after another man's girl." Ayumi just looked resigned but she was smiling at Kagome, almost apologetically.

"Don't tell me you guys missed the bus home," Kagome exclaimed, unbelieving. "Why are you still here?"

"Well, we had to see what happened!" Yuka said, like it was obvious. "Plus, by the time you finished talking the buses were basically gone anyways. My mom's coming to get us."

"What about you?" Eri asked. "Don't you usually walk?"

"I think she's getting a ride," Ayumi said carefully. When the girls looked over at her, she was pointing towards the pick-up truck. Inuyasha's unhappy face was glaring at them still.

This was her nightmare.

"Oh my _god_ , _no way_!" Yuka squeaked, all excited. "He came to get you?"

"To get _us_ ," Kagome answered, hating how short she sounded. "I'm hanging out with Sango and them tonight."

"He's cuter than I remember," Eri commented, humming thoughtfully. "And what colour is his hair, it looks so–"

"I have to go!" Kagome interrupted loudly, taking a big step back. "I'll see you tomorrow, guys! Have a good night! Good luck with the math homework!" There _was_ no math homework. She was an _idiot_.

Jumping into the backseat with Sango, she focused really hard on shutting the door and putting her bag by her feet. She couldn't look up. Did Inuyasha hear any of that? Who was she kidding, of course he did. The half-demon could hear her breathing from the other side of the room. Did her friends say anything really obvious? She tried to backtrack through the conversation, but it seemed okay. Yuka suggested that Kagome was dating someone but didn't explicitly say who. Eri said he was cute. It could have been a lot worse.

"They're pretty excitable all the time, huh?" Sango asked. When Kagome dared to glance up, her friend was practically grinning. It reminded her of the fact that Hojo spoke to Sango about Inuyasha, and likely about Inuyasha and Kagome being in a relationship.

Oh god.

Did she ever actually _say_ she was dating Inuyasha to Hojo? Or was it just heavily suggested? Kagome couldn't even remember, not between her conversation with him and with the girls.

"Yeah, you know. They get really excited every time a guy even looks at me."

Sango hummed and Miroku twisted in the seat to look at her, both eyebrows raised. "They were that excited about Hojo asking you out?"

"He didn't actually _ask me_ ," Kagome whined, wanting the conversation to be over. "They thought he did but he didn't. I wouldn't have said yes anyways."

Inuyasha had remained completely silent the whole time. Kagome desperately wanted him to say something, anything, just to get a read on him. How much had he heard?

The truck ride was almost unusually silent after that. Kagome wasn't sure if it was because the conversation had died, or because of the lingering tension between Sango and the two boys. It made the already anxious thoughts swirling in her head about Inuyasha and Hojo and her friends feel worse. Why was she lying all the time? Why hadn't she just set her friends straight when they asked if she and Inuyasha were dating? It seemed like such a great idea at the time but things could crash down at any moment. And did Sango know about her lie? If she did, why didn't she say anything?

Feeling worse and worse, Kagome stared hard out the window. She was always lying and it was going to catch up with her sooner rather than later. What would they all think of her when the truth came out? Not just Yuka, Eri and Ayumi, but Sango and Miroku? Inuyasha? They were her friends just as much as the other girls. In some ways, even closer. It sounded crazy but they knew things that no one else did. They had fought _battles_ together and _killed demons_ together.

And if this caused some sort of rift between them, and ruined anything, what would Kagome do? She couldn't do it without them by her side, helping her and teaching her. What would–

" _Breathe_ , Kagome," Inuyasha snapped, his rough voice a sharp contrast to the wailing in her head. She took a deep breath, not realizing until she did so just how desperate for it she had become.

Kagome blinked and looked at his reflection in the rear-view mirror. His golden eyes were practically boring holes into her, before they slid away to look at the road. Sango was staring at her quizzically and leaned over, resting a hand on her leg.

"You good?" she asked quietly, concerned.

"Yeah, yeah, sorry. I'm good," Kagome murmured, making sure to count out her breaths in her head. It didn't make her feel any better, and the tension wasn't gone, but Sango's kind eyes were encouraging and Kagome knew she had to try to relax. "Did you know we weren't assigned any math homework today?"

"Really? I thought you were practically guaranteeing it," Sango replied.

Kagome shrugged. "Some sort of miracle."

The conversation helped to ease the anxiety somewhat, though the lump in her throat remained. She tried her best to smile and keep Sango talking, pushing aside the rest to deal with later. Up front, Inuyasha and Miroku were talking quietly amongst themselves. It was far more Miroku than Inuyasha, who didn't seem to really be responding at all. It was too hard to hear though and she wanted to give Sango her full attention.

When they pulled up to the house, everyone was pretty quick to exit. Kagome slid down and without thinking, grabbed at the sleeve of Inuyasha's sweater. She didn't want to draw any attention, but she had to say something. The half-demon's golden gaze found hers and she let go, feeling self-conscious. "Just…thanks," she murmured, "for helping me."

"Don't mention it," Inuyasha replied, shrugging like it was no big deal. His gaze remained a little bit longer before he abruptly spun around, following Miroku's path towards the house. Kagome went to the other side of the truck, waiting while Sango struggled a bit to get her backpack out without bothering her wound. She didn't make a sound but she couldn't hide the wince.

"I thought it was getting better?" Kagome asked, concerned.

Sango laughed, quick and sharp. "I almost didn't get out of the truck on Monday so yeah, this is definitely better."

Inuyasha was waiting just outside of the door, his face impassive as he watched the both of them trudge forwards. When they were close enough, he opened the door and entered, kicking off his shoes and disappearing before Kagome was even fully inside. She frowned, completely confused by his behaviour when Sango snorted.

"Yeah, he's been doing that. He's torn between making sure I suffer for my mistakes and making sure I don't actually pass out on the driveway from the pain."

There seemed to be something else, too, but Kagome didn't say it out loud.

"Did you want to just study in the living room?" Sango asked. "We can watch TV when we get bored."

"Yeah, that works. I don't have much to do; there's this geography assignment but it's due next week."

There were voices coming from the kitchen but Sango didn't seem inclined to go and speak with any of them. Had this been what the last few days were like, all four of them in the house and barely anyone talking at all? Or specifically, barely any of them talking to Sango?

Kagome looked at the magenta-eyed girl, who was slowly taking out one of the largest textbooks from her bag. No wonder she had planned to take Kagome outside to talk, hot chocolate and all. No wonder Sango felt like she was going to combust at any moment. For the first time, Kagome felt unreasonably angry, having half a mind to go into the kitchen and smack some sense into them all. Everyone was making mistakes left, right and centre, and pretty soon they would all fall apart – demons or no.

"Are you going to study?" Sango asked, breaking through the haze of frustration.

Kagome sighed, overdramatic. "If I have to."

"We could just watch TV and do nothing," her friend suggested, gesturing towards the remote.

It was tempting – really tempting – but Kagome shook her head. "I didn't have a chance to do this the other night so I should get started. We can stop before dinner."

They fell into a comfortable silence, each of them stretched out on their own couch with textbooks and notebooks around them. Kagome was flipping through one, trying to locate the specific plains she needed to discuss when Inuyasha walked over, phone in hand.

"Are you good with the same pizza we had last time?" he asked, glancing at both Sango and Kagome for confirmation.

Kagome nodded, still feeling that anger from earlier and not wanting to speak. When he left, she relaxed her shoulders and got back to work. She managed to get a fair amount of it completed before the doorbell rang. Miroku's voice echoed down the halls when he announced the pizza had arrived. Sango started packing up her books, tossing them in her backpack. "We'll probably eat in here and watch something," she said. Sango grabbed at the remote and turned on the television, the news already playing.

"Hey guys, what do you want to drink?" Inuyasha called out.

Sango turned around and eyed Kagome for a moment. "Do we have any club soda?" she asked, distracted.

"Me too, please," Kagome called out, managing to put the last of her stuff away.

Miroku came over then with the pizza boxes, a stack of napkins on top. "I think Inuyasha's getting plates too," he said, laying out the food.

"I've got them," Mushin said, suddenly appearing with a bunch in his hands. "What are we watching?"

"The news apparently," Sango murmured, grabbing the remote once more.

"… _strange 911 call from the Barkeep, a local Wells eatery. Kisho Horikiri, reported two weeks ago as an official missing persons, was seen fleeing the scene. The victim was stabbed and authorities suspect Horikiri of the assault."_

"Why is everyone missing and reappearing?" Kagome asked. "It's literally on the news every night. My grandfather has been going crazy about this story of some nephew who was missing for years suddenly reappearing and then killing his aunt."

Inuyasha dropped a few cans of club soda and coke down on the table, already frowning. "Didn't that old lady at the grocery store say the exact same thing?" He was looking at Miroku, who stood there in shock.

"Yeah, kind of." He frowned. "Mrs. Ohta's grandson was back after being in Europe for a few years. The family was estranged but he just returned out of the blue, wanting to be back in her life. This was only like three weeks ago."

The news had already cycled on to a different story but all of them were looking at each other, the coincidences too strong to ignore. Mushin was the first to speak, sounding a little off. "What was the name again?"

"Of the grandmother?" Miroku asked. "Mrs. Ohta. I don't know her first name. I've only seen her around town a bunch of times."

"She lived in Sakura though," Mushin prodded, waiting for an affirming nod before leaving the room. He came back a moment later, leafing through a newspaper until his face went grim. He flipped the paper around, showing them the bottom half. It took a moment for Kagome to read and realize what they were looking at. It was the obituary section and there were scattered photos here and there of people who had passed.

Miroku pointed instantly to one of the photos. "That's her. That's Mrs. Ohta. When–"

"This was from yesterday's paper," Mushin answered. "I'm sorry. I didn't know."

"No, of course." Miroku shook his head, clearly still in a bit of shock. "So there's been a demon running around our town for the last few weeks and we never noticed?"

Inuyasha grunted. "And running through Wells too, so it's constantly moving around. A shapeshifter demon, it has to be."

"Wait, I know that demon," Sango said suddenly, standing up from her seated position on the couch. She started to head towards her room. "The journals!"

"Grab them and bring them over," Inuyasha called out to her. "If we know what demon it is, we have a better chance of catching it before it hurts anyone else."

The moment she was out of the room, Miroku threw his hands up. "Another demon, _really_?"

"They're flooding Sakura," Mushin murmured, shaking his head. "I've never heard of anything like this."

"And Kagome shouldn't be what's attracting them. They shouldn't know of her existence, according to Kaede." Inuyasha spared a glance her way and Kagome tried not to fidget, unsure. The old woman's information seemed to add more questions than provide any answers.

"Then something else is attracting them, but they want Kagome out of the picture," Miroku mused. "Without her powers to purify them, who would really stand in the way with our family gone?"

Sango came back in with a handful of journals, already flipping through one. "I think it was in one of these. Dad never called it shapeshifting though." She handed one to Miroku and the other to Inuyasha. "I'm positive he wrote about it."

"Why don't we eat?" Mushin suggested, tapping lightly at each of their notebooks. "There's nothing we can do about the demon right this moment. Eat while the food is still hot."

They only sort of listened. Without a journal, Kagome grabbed a couple slices and started to eat. She wasn't really hungry – not anymore – but the pizza was good. The others were eating too, just a little bit slower. Miroku and Sango were still scouring through the journals, only pausing for a moment to take a bite out of slice before continuing.

"What will we do?" Kagome asked. "Once we know what type of demon it is, what's next?"

Inuyasha shrugged. "Depends on the demon. Asato may have notes about what lures it, but I doubt it. Demons only want the same thing." He flexed his hand then, drawing Kagome's eyes to the sharp tips of his claws. "We'll just have to find it."

Chewing, she processed what he was saying. Surely there would be some way to get the demon's attention, to lure it into the woods where they could take it down without anyone else noticing. "Do you think it's coming after me?"

Inuyasha stared at her, lips pressed together like he was debating. Sango answered before he could say anything, her words coming out slowly. "I don't…think so? I mean, it's been around for weeks. If it was coming after you, it's doing a terrible job."

"Coincidence then?"

Sango nodded. "Probably. We still have to kill it though."

Suddenly, Miroku laid the journal he was holding onto the little table before them, flattening it out. He pointed at it. "What about transmogrify?"

"You found it?" Kagome asked, trying to get closer to see.

"I think so? Asato wrote about a lizard-like demon he encountered years ago on a hunt with a big group of other slayers, before they moved to Sakura. The demon could transmogrify into another person, like one moment it would be big and green and the next it could be anyone. Asato saw his father, but in the same battle, it had turned into one of the other slayer's dead friends."

"How does it know?" Sango asked, frowning. "How can it choose what form to take if it never knew the person it was transforming into?"

"Maybe it's not so much the demon transforming, as it is altering our perception," Miroku answered thoughtfully. "Maybe it releases some poison that messes with our brains, makes us hallucinate."

"Either way, it needs to die," Inuyasha stated. "Any way to trap it?"

Miroku shook his head, even as he scanned the pages yet again. "Nothing here. When Asato saw it the first time, he and the rest of the group had been circling it, and more or less forced it into an abandoned building where they took it down."

"Which we can't do since we're only four people."

Miroku nodded, his right hand clenching into his leg. "We'll figure something out."

Kagome had no idea what they would do. She finished off her slice and sat there, debating. Sango nudged at Miroku to get her more food, the action catching her eye. Miroku hesitated for a moment but did it, grabbing her plate to toss on another slice. Kagome felt herself relax at that, knowing just how much that probably meant to the girl.

Maybe things would get better, easier. Maybe Sango would actually talk to him tonight.

They weren't perfect, but they could get there.

Inuyasha spared her a glance, looking confused for absolutely no reason at all. She hadn't said a word, hadn't done anything strange but eat her pizza. In the quiet of the living room, she could have asked. Instead, she leaned further into the couch cushions and just tried to relax.

They would figure it all out.

They would be fine.

* * *

Kagome waited at Sango's locker the next morning, wanting to know what happened when she left to go home. They hadn't done all that much after food; watching some TV, debating on watching a movie for a long while until Kagome determined she had to go home. Sango hadn't been talking, per se, to Miroku or Inuyasha, but they hadn't shunned her either. It seemed like a step up.

When Sango came around the corner – alone – Kagome tried not to frown.

The magenta-eyed girl gave her a smile, like nothing was wrong. "Hey, you okay?"

Kagome wanted to be the one to ask that. Instead, she shrugged and smiled herself. "Yeah, I'm good. Thanks for having me over last night."

Sango gave her an odd look. "You're welcome?" She drew out the words, the question evident, like she had no idea what angle Kagome was coming from.

It was a bad idea, but she had to know. Kagome _had_ to know. "Where's Miroku?"

Had it been anyone else, Kagome probably wouldn't have seen it. There was a flicker of impassiveness, and then she smiled again, shrugging. It wasn't even close to a real smile, far more bitter. "I have no idea. With Koharu?"

The way she said it, Kagome knew they never talked. Either Sango tried and it didn't go well, or Sango didn't try at all.

This time, she bit her tongue and didn't ask.

* * *

Kagome was running.

Running and running, in the forest in the pitch black of night. She could barely see, stumbling over absolutely everything. The only reason she didn't fall was sheer luck and determination.

It was coming.

It was _coming_.

She swung around a tree, skidded hard enough that her knee throbbed with it. She couldn't stop though. No, it was coming for her.

Red eyes and all.

The sound of crying distracted her, the sobs close and familiar. She switched directions, trying to follow the noise. She knew who that was. Sango. She had to help Sango. Why was Sango crying? Why was she out in the forest?

Kagome ran, harder and faster. It felt like an eternity, each breath so much harder than the next. The air was thinner somehow, every pant a wheeze. Was she going to die here, in the forest alone?

Another sob.

No, there was Sango.

"Sango!" Kagome screamed, whipping around dangerously in a circle, trying to locate her friend. "Where are you? Sango!"

And like magic, the magenta-eyed girl was suddenly before her, leaning broken against a tree. She was bleeding everywhere, her face and hands covered with it. How she was even standing was beyond her.

"Sango!" Kagome cried out, taking a step forward to reach her, to help her, to–

Deep, torturous claws dug into her back. Kagome couldn't even scream, every muscle in her body spasming. She collapsed onto the forest floor, hearing only sobs and ferocious growls. Her back spasmed again and Kagome couldn't help but cry, aching. She was going to die.

She couldn't even–

 _It's in you, girl._

Another vicious stab through her back and this time, Kagome felt the snap of her spine. Sango screamed.

And screamed.

And screamed.

And–

Kagome gasped, her body lurching forward. It took a moment for her to recognize where she was, what was happening. She was in her room, in her bed, sitting up with the blankets a tangled mess around her.

It had only been a bad dream.

Laying back down, Kagome desperately tried to catch her breath. Her whole back was sore, the muscles burning. Her back had actually been spasming; the pain had been real. Everything was hurting, so, so much.

Breathing wasn't getting any easier. It felt like it was getting worse.

Her room was so dark but her panting was so loud. What if there was something in the room with her, would she even hear it?

Her back was hurting still.

How real was real?

Kagome felt a choked sob crawl its way up her throat. Squeezing her eyes shut as hard as she could, she tried to focus on her breathing. _Inhale_ , two, three, four. _Exhale_ , two, three, four. Slow it down. _Inhale_ , two, three, four.

This wasn't working.

Sitting up was a struggle, but she desperately reached out for the switch of her lamp. The sudden light hurt her eyes but she refused to close them, seeking out the rest of the room and all of the dark corners. There was nothing there. She was alone, and safe, and in her bed.

She didn't feel safe.

Grabbing her journal, Kagome flipped to a random page and stared at the image taped onto it.

"The door is red. The red door is a part of a yellow building. The building is yellow." She took a deep breath and started again. "The building looks like a house. It has ivy, but maybe it's not ivy. It looks like there are berries on it. Some sort of plant, I don't know what." Another breath, deeper and slower. "The berries are a brighter red than the door. The house is yellow with a red door and some weird ivy. I don't see a roof." She closed her eyes for a moment, and focused on a solid inhale and exhale. It felt like a struggle but she did it anyways, counting down in her mind. She started again. "The house is yellow. The door is red. It has a black doorknob. It looks tropical there, warm."

It took a long time until her chest felt like it could properly expand, like she could breathe in air and have it fill up her lungs. Slowly, like a leaky faucet that kept going _drip…drip…drip_ , Kagome could feel herself calming down. She was okay.

She was okay.

Closing the journal, Kagome stared up at the ceiling. She hadn't had a nightmare that bad in a very, very long time.

Kagome wondered if she'd even be able to fall back asleep.

* * *

The sight of silver in between branches and leaves was no longer unfamiliar. Kagome took a deep breath and started to lightly jog as she approached the trees, starting up the same routine she did every morning. When she got close enough, she could see the scowling face of the half-demon, waiting only a couple of feet away with his arms crossed. She knew by now that while it wasn't his default expression, it was commonplace in the mornings, even if he seemed to be in a relatively decent mood. For a brief moment, she wondered what it was like to be him, to be in his head and think like him. In the next moment, she wondered how exhausted she truly was if those were the questions running through her mind. Last night had been terrible.

Like always, Kagome nodded at him when she got close enough. Inuyasha fell into step with her easily and together they started to run faster, to get up to speed with the pace they'd been growing towards. Kagome was positive she'd never been so fast before, especially for as long as they ran. The half-demon had been a great inspiration, if nothing else for what he did when they ran together. No wonder Miroku and Sango were as good as they were in combat and in training. She was under no illusions that Inuyasha's training was a step above what any human could offer. How long had Sango's parents trained him, before he could outdo any of their maneuvers?

Taking a deep breath, she counted in her head and then exhaled, letting the numbers trail on. The forest was eerily quiet that morning; barely a stir of the wind, making the air a little warmer than usual for November. She needed to focus on her run, on her breathing. Just on inhaling and exhaling, and the pumping of her feet on the hard ground.

For a while, it worked. Kagome pushed herself to think only of what she was doing and it was enough. They ran, side by side without talking or hesitating. She was focused, her mind a barely-there buzz of fleeting thoughts and images.

And then one stuck.

Kagome wasn't sure why some thoughts were harder to push through than others. It was like they had a spare key, getting in under the radar and then announcing themselves far too loudly to push aside or ignore. Sometimes, she didn't even realize she was thinking about it until the thought was so overwhelming it was causing her problems. And the thought of Sango, with her sad expressions the day before at her locker and the casualness that she used when talking about Miroku with Koharu… It got under her skin and blossomed, big and ugly and fierce. Kagome looked at Inuyasha and felt that same frustration she felt at their house.

She took a deep breath and let it go. Another.

It wasn't a conscious decision to stop dead in the middle of the forest trail, but before she knew it Kagome was standing there, panting and sweating and unmoving. She tugged on her ponytail, feeling that frustration from before building up and overflowing, spilling into thoughts of _why can't you let this go_ and _stop it_.

And that was so, so much worse.

"What's going on?" Inuyasha asked, fiercely enough that Kagome realized just how poised he looked for action. Like he was expecting some sort of attack. In the time that she tried to figure out what she was going to do – address the issue, or ignore it and lie – the half-demon seemed to realize that there wasn't any kind of danger. His nose crinkled, face falling into a frown as he crossed his arms.

She couldn't stop herself even if she wanted to. "Why are you doing this to Sango?"

His reaction was instantaneous. What she thought was a frown before seemed to pale in comparison. He looked angry, jaw clenched and ready for some kind of fight. It wasn't what she wanted but Kagome was at a loss on how else to communicate with him. It wasn't like Inuyasha went around openly expressing himself. Asking casually in the car before only resulted in grunts and pointed silence. "Are you serious?" he demanded. "You want to talk about this _now_?"

"She's miserable," Kagome ground out, shaking her head. Two steps forward, like a challenge. It wasn't one, but she watched as the half-demon reacted anyways, standing taller and looking angrier. "She made a mistake, I know, but punishing her like this can only make things worse. It's been _a week_!"

"It's not _me_ that needs to start a conversation," Inuyasha retorted, near growling.

"You're not even mad at her, so what's even your problem?" Kagome exclaimed.

Inuyasha snapped, furious. "Of course I'm mad at her."

"You're terrified, not angry. Stop lying about this!" Kagome took in a shuddering breath. "I'm not an idiot, Inuyasha. I saw what happened that night. I watched you in the car the next day! I've seen you look out for Sango even when you're not really talking to her. So what gives?"

"I'm not terrified!" Inuyasha snapped, near vicious. "I'm a half-demon. What the hell do I have to be scared about? It's not my fault Sango went off and nearly got herself killed when I was too busy trying to protect you and Miroku!"

And just like that, the half-demon whipped around. While she couldn't see his expression, Kagome wasn't a fool. She watched the clenching of his fists, so tightly pressed against his thighs. She saw the way his shoulders bunched, the rigidness of his body. Her frustrated plea had worked, but maybe it hadn't been such a great idea after all.

"Inuyasha?" Kagome asked quietly. She knew he could hear her. She didn't dare take a step forward.

"What?" he snapped, still clearly pissed off.

It took her a moment to formulate anything – any sort of response, a form of comfort. Anything. A few times she opened her mouth, only to find nothing willing to come out. This… This was maybe worse. Maybe she should have kept out of it. It was Sango's family; her relationships with Miroku and Inuyasha were different. Kagome was the outsider that had just squirmed her way in.

All of a sudden, the half-demon spun around again. He didn't look any calmer. If anything, his golden eyes were wide, face burning a shade of red. "What?" he demanded again. "What do you want, Kagome?"

"You said you'd never protect me." Kagome didn't know where the words came from. It was an accusation as much as a question. "You told me that you wouldn't protect me, because you only cared about Miroku and Sango. It was on me to take care of myself."

To that, Inuyasha didn't apparently have anything to say. His fists unclenched though, eyes shifting from fierceness to their usual level of heavy intensity. Kagome wasn't sure if she'd ever get used to it.

"It's not your fault what happened to Sango," Kagome said, as firmly as she could. It didn't come out that way, not with the tremble in her voice, but there was nothing she could do. She was exhausted after last night, emotionally tired from the last week. There was a lump in her throat and she didn't want to deal with it. "It's not your fault."

Inuyasha scowled. "It's my job to keep you all safe. I'm not the human here. If I get thrown into a damn tree I'm not going to die from internal bleeding."

"But your _job_ can only go as far as we allow it," Kagome replied, near desperate. "If Sango runs off on her own, that's her turning down your duty to her."

"It doesn't work like that."

"You're so difficult!" Kagome exclaimed, trying to swallow down the bile that was building up. She couldn't have another breakdown, not so soon. She covered her face with her hands, trying to focus on her breathing. Inhale. Exhale. It was easy to think of but so hard to do. _Inhale_.

She could hear footsteps and knew without a doubt that he was coming closer. She wished he wouldn't though. Just five more seconds, and she could get a grip–

There was a touch to her hand, the barest hint of a scratch. Like Inuyasha thought about grabbing her but stopped himself at the last second. "You're pretty difficult too, in case you weren't aware."

At that, Kagome burst out in a short laugh, more a strong exhale of breath. "That's a lie. I'm the least difficult."

"Mushin is way more chill than you."

She hummed. He had a point.

"I'll talk to Sango," Inuyasha said gruffly. "But I can't do anything for Miroku. That's–" He paused a moment. "There's more to it than I can help."

"I know." She was still hiding behind her hands. Any second now, she would look up and be normal. They would finish their run. Everything would be fine.

It didn't feel fine.

"You're–" Inuyasha hesitated for a second. It was almost enough to make her look up from her hands. Almost. "You're still anxious." He sounded weird saying the words, like he didn't want them to come out.

Initially she wanted to bristle at that because showing this part of her wasn't something she just _did_. It happened on accident, if at all. Her anxiety was something she holed up in her bedroom, or at her locker at school. Sometimes, she tried to distract herself with archery to get away from it. Her friends probably knew – Ayumi more than the others – but still. Kagome didn't want to talk about it.

But then she felt her eyes start to burn, and her throat got tight in the way that meant she was going to cry.

"Don't!" Inuyasha shouted, sounding strangled.

Kagome glanced up and blinked. "It's been a hard day!" she snapped.

"It's barely seven!"

"Exactly!"

Inuyasha stared at her, alarmed and tense but no longer angry. That seemed to have passed, sliding out alongside his acceptance that he'd speak with Sango. But the two of them just stood there, looking at each other like they were waiting for the other to make some kind of move. Neither of them did.

"I–" The words came out at the same time as Inuyasha opened his mouth to say something, so she cut herself off.

Inuyasha did too, though.

More staring. This was a terrible morning.

"Can you run me home?" Kagome asked, hating how her voice sounded. "I should have been back by now."

Nodding, the half-demon turned around and crouched. He didn't say a word to her as he fled from the trail, taking the faster way home. He stopped at the treeline, just like he always did, and Kagome slid off quietly.

Her mind was made up.

"I'll see you next soon, yeah?" Kagome asked. She didn't hide the exhaustion from her voice. It wasn't worth it. He seemed to sense what she was feeling anyways.

"Yeah."

She waved at him, tried for a smile before turning away completely. She jogged back to the house, taking her time as she stepped inside and unlaced her shoes. She listened as her mother's footsteps, always so quiet, petered in from the kitchen.

"Hey," her mother greeted gently. The amount of care and concern in her voice overwhelmed her then, like a blanket securing around her. "That took a while."

"Yeah," Kagome choked out, straightening up. She could see it in her mother's eyes the moment she realized just how messed up her daughter was. Kagome couldn't hold back the tears, even more so when her mom came up and hugged her fiercely.

"What's wrong?" she asked, hushed and worried. Her hand rubbed at Kagome's back, soothing and sweet. "What happened?"

"I'm just so tired," Kagome whispered. She felt ragged and raw, like broken pieces that were sticking out and catching on everything. On the demons coming to Sakura. On her strange powers as a priestess. On her schoolwork, which she was barely completing. On the lizard-like demon prancing around town. On the nightmare from last night. On Sango's grief. On Miroku's anger. On Inuyasha's intuition.

"Okay," her mom murmured. She rocked her slightly before pulling away. "How about you take a warm shower, I'll make some tea, and then you can go back to sleep? I'll call the school and tell them your sick."

Her mother was too good for her, what with all the lies Kagome kept hidden. Still, she nodded and whispered her thanks.

Thirty minutes later, she was sitting in bed drinking tea with her. Her mom didn't ask, and Kagome didn't offer. It was one of the sleepy teas, settling warm and comforting in Kagome's chest. When she finished, her mother took away the cup and left it on her nightstand, helping her to get more comfortable lying down. She brushed at Kagome's bangs, over and over, and it was more calming than any tea.

She fell asleep.

* * *

It was crazy how one day away from everything, from reality, could balance a person out. How just a few simple hours broken from routine to focus on self-care could flip that internal switch in the mind, changing hopeless to hopeful.

She texted her friends: made plans with Yuka, Eri and Ayumi to celebrate her birthday, messaged Sango to see how she was doing. Sent a text message to Inuyasha to let him know she wouldn't be running that weekend.

It was simple. It was a step back that she had desperately needed.

During Sunday night's family dinner, Kagome laughed at the sheer ridiculousness of her brother's teenage crush. Even her mom, usually so sympathetic, seemed to find the situation entirely amusing. Her grandfather rambled on about the latest dog that was a _Good Boy_ according to the news.

Kagome smiled and laughed the entire evening. She felt good going to bed.

It was–

It was nice.

* * *

Sango appeared at her locker, hovering only a few feet away. Kagome smiled at her and waved, gesturing her closer. Yuka and Eri were in a heated debate about some sort of school gossip that Kagome tuned out a while ago. She had planned to spend lunch with them, but Sango normally never approached her when the other girls were around.

"Hey," Sango said quietly, giving a tiny awkward wave to the rest of them. "How are you?"

Eri seemed absolutely shocked by the question, but thankfully Ayumi wasn't phased at all. She smiled, always so good at putting other people at ease. "We're good. Glad the day is half-over."

"I don't know that I'm _glad_ about it," Yuka added, huffing. "It's felt like so much longer."

"Every day feels like it's longer than it should be," Kagome pointed out.

"Only two more years, right?" Eri asked.

Yuka made a face. "Of _high school_. You know there's more, right?"

The girls went back to bickering and Kagome raised an eyebrow at Sango. It was the usual antics, but while sometimes it would get on her nerves or set her off, today everything seemed fine. She was relaxed and thankful for it.

Though, Sango coming over probably meant she wanted to talk. She wouldn't have approached otherwise. It was then that Kagome remembered her conversation with Inuyasha on Friday, how he had said he'd talk to her and try to fix things. "Did you want to go to lunch?" she suggested. "It's not that cold out today."

"Nah, the cafeteria is fine," Sango replied. The magenta-eyed girl seemed to hesitate for a moment, a little awkward. "Are you sure? I don't want to take you away from–" She cut herself off, but Sango gestured her head towards the other girls, her message coming across clear.

"They'll understand," Kagome stated, reaching out to nudge her arm. She finished up at her locker and looked at Ayumi, the only one paying attention. "Sango and I are going to lunch. I'll catch up with you after school?"

Ayumi nodded and Yuka jumped back into the conversation, having caught on to what was happening. "We're still on for tonight, right?" She grinned, all excited. It made Kagome laugh, if only because McDonald's wasn't exactly the best dinner in the world. It was, however, tradition – ever since they were little kids.

"Yeah, I promise," Kagome replied.

"We'll hold you to it, birthday girl!" Eri called out.

It was exactly what she _didn't_ want her friends to say, but there was no point of worrying about it anymore. Sango shot her an alarmed look before Kagome grabbed her arm and dragged her away, heading towards the cafeteria.

"It's your birthday today?" Sango asked. Her eyes were wide, like the idea of not knowing was going to ruin their friendship. Kagome had never said anything about it before, so there was no way for her friend to know. The only ones that really knew were Yuka, Eri and Ayumi, but that was years and years of friendship.

Kagome shook her head. "Tomorrow, but I do family stuff so we celebrate today. Nothing fancy. You could come, you know," she said, trying to sound inviting. "I know they can be a lot, but Yuka and Eri are really sweet. As long as they don't start harassing you about your love life."

"Oh." Sango seemed almost taken aback by the offer, completely surprised. "Uh, I would love to but I have some family stuff to take care of." She seemed really upset, her magenta eyes wide. "If I could move it I would–"

Kagome cut her off with a quick wave. "It's not a big deal, I promise. Don't worry. Next time."

That drew a smile out of the other girl, who nodded. "Yeah. Definitely."

They got to their usual table in the cafeteria. Miroku was still nowhere to be found, but Kagome didn't say anything. Instead, she listened to Sango talk about her weekend and the research they were doing on the lizard-like demon surrounding the town. There didn't seem to be much to go on, but Inuyasha convinced Miroku to go to Mrs. Ohta's house to pay his respects to the family. If he could also find out more about how she met the 'long lost grandson,' it would probably help their cause.

"Inuyasha can't find anything?" Kagome asked.

Sango shook her head, looking rueful. "He's been trying, but Sakura and Wells are pretty big together. He thinks it's somewhere in the forest, since he's staked out all of the abandoned buildings in the area. Then again, the thing could be living in an air duct in some building that has people every day." She shrugged, taking a bite of her apple. "Who knows?"

Sighing, Kagome picked at her own lunch. "That's frustrating."

"He's not really happy about it. If you're free on Saturday, we were going to go searching for it. And kill it, if we find it."

"Yeah, Saturday is probably better."

"You can stay over, if you want," Sango stated. "We could be out pretty late. Depends on how fast we find it, I–"

Kagome frowned, noticing Sango's gaze looking past her. All of a sudden, her face was like a blank wall, completely impenetrable. She knew before she even turned around who it was that her friend was looking at, his laugh ringing out over the cafeteria. Not too far away, Miroku was sitting at a table with a bunch of juniors, seemingly joking around. The girl from before, Koharu, was there, nice and close.

The familiar frustration built up in her, but Kagome couldn't fix it. She couldn't control what Miroku did, just like she couldn't do a thing about Sango's actions. They both seemed to thrive on hurting each other, at least in this moment. Kagome didn't understand how you could try to hurt someone so you clearly loved.

"Oh hey," Sango said, voice ridiculously normal. It didn't even sound forced. The tone was enough to have Kagome spinning back around, trying to capture all of Sango's attention. She didn't want the other girl to look that closed off again, not because of Miroku. "So, you'll never believe what happened this weekend."

She had a clue but tried her best to look intrigued. "What?"

"Inuyasha and I talked about the whole…" She waved her hand in the air, trying to encompass all that had gone wrong lately. "The whole thing. It was weird."

"Weird how?"

Sango shrugged. "I don't know. I think he was trying to talk to me without being the one to start it. Inuyasha's not the easiest to talk to about stuff though, and _I'm_ not the best at it either. The entire conversation was awkward."

"Are you good, at least?" Kagome asked gently. She reached out, tapping at Sango's hand in solidarity. "Have you worked things out?"

It was there for only a moment, disappearing so fast Kagome could have easily imagined it. But she didn't. Sango did, in fact, give a small smile. She shrugged again though, looking down at her food. "Yeah. I apologized for…a few things, I guess. The obvious one, plus the arguments. He's so damn protective though, ever since–" Kagome watched as her friend licked her lips and took a breath. "Ever since Mom, Dad and Kohaku died."

In the months that Kagome had known her, she had never heard Sango actually speak of her family like that. She usually skirted around their reference of death, or just said _her family_. It was never names, never titles. Either Sango was really starting to work through her grief or talking to Inuyasha had been better for her than anyone realized. In the end, it was probably both.

"I'm glad," Kagome stated, giving her a smile.

"Now, I just have to figure out what to do with Miroku."

"Can't you just talk to him like you did with Inuyasha?"

"Not really, not the same." Shaking her head, Sango tugged briefly at her ponytail, a tiny distraction. "Inuyasha's always been easier to talk to, even though we both suck at it. Miroku's just this big ball of _emotion_. He hits back with it, always."

Kagome remembered the first time she had met them all. How Sango had already been screaming on the driveway, and Miroku was instantly up and out, trying to pacify and then bringing up how he had to take care of her. It hadn't really meant anything back then, but listening to her friend now, she understood. How much worse did it make things, that Miroku loved her? When Kagome had brought up Miroku's interest in her on the bleachers last week, Sango had acknowledged it but never really said anything about her own feelings. Was it not reciprocated?

No. Recent events alone proved that couldn't be the case. Not just that, but the way Sango had looked almost a month ago when Koharu came and interrupted their conversation on the bleachers.

Maybe Kagome would never really understand.

"Plus, I know him," Sango continued, filling the silence. "I know what he's going to say. I just don't…really have an answer for him yet."

"Like," Kagome stuttered out, wondering if her thoughts were walking along the same wavelength. "Like if you like Miroku the same way he likes you?" For a long moment, Sango just stared at her. It made Kagome want to fidget, to pick at her lunch or look over at the boy in question. Eventually, the magenta-eyed girl nodded, once and final. It made her brave enough to ask, "You don't love him?"

To her, it was almost obvious. It _seemed_ obvious.

"I've always loved him," Sango answered, slowly and haltingly. It was like each word was a struggle, like she would rather say anything else. "But it's different."

Kagome desperately wanted to know.

Maybe it was the look in her eyes, because Sango sighed explosively and buried her head in her hands. The next words were small, quiet. "Me, Kohaku, Miroku and Inuyasha all grew up together since we were little. Inuyasha's my brother in every way but blood. Kohaku was my actual brother. But Miroku?" She looked up then, eyes wide. "It was never the same."

"Doesn't that mean you do love him, then?" Kagome asked, question barely more than a whisper.

Sango shook her head but stopped herself, deciding to shrug instead. "How do you know what true love is," she whispered back, "when it's always been the same feeling since you were five years old?"

* * *

When her mom, brother and grandfather sang Happy Birthday to her, all Kagome could think about was how grateful she was to have them. Even as annoying as her younger brother could be, or as worried as her mother could get, she wouldn't trade them for anything.

The lies she told them would catch up to her eventually. Someday down the line, her family may not look at her the same way.

But Kagome vowed, at that very moment for what felt like the hundredth time, to protect them. All of them.

When she blew out her candles, her one wish was to keep them all safe.

She clung to that desire with every fibre of her being, watching the smoke rise from the candle and disappear into the air.

* * *

That night, after having said goodnight to her family and trudging up the stairs to her bedroom, it took an embarrassingly long time to notice the massive garbage bag on her bed. She had been too distracted with getting ready, changing into her baggy t-shirt and brushing out her hair. It was only when she was about to grab the covers and pull them down that she noticed it: big, thin, and sitting there with a white bow on top.

Instantly Kagome went to the window of her bedroom. It didn't look like anything had been moved, but there was only one way that gift got in and it wasn't through the front door. Pressing her face against the glass, she tried to see anything in the darkness but there was no flash of silver hair or flashlights.

Tentatively, Kagome went back to her bed and pulled at the bag. On top was a card, a basic Happy Birthday one with a picture of a mouse floating on a balloon. She smiled, unable to stop herself as she opened it. All of their names were signed inside, with Sango adding an extra little message. Miroku added a winking face. Inuyasha finished off his name with a period.

The garbage bag was clearly clean, and used as a hasty and quick substitute for an actual gift bag. Kagome realized with a start that it likely would have been a difficult task no matter what, after seeing the size of what was inside.

"No way," Kagome whispered, already knowing but not quite wanting to believe.

It was a bow, brilliant and shining. There was a separate case of arrows, the tips nothing like her own arrows for archery. These tips were meant to kill.

Her very own demon slaying bow, to keep at the house.

Her wish was already putting itself to work.

* * *

On Saturday morning, Kagome stood awkwardly in the kitchen waiting for the perfect moment. She needed her mother to be distracted, enough that it was plausible for Kagome to have gotten into a car and left the driveway by the time she checked. A text message vibrated in her jean's back pocket; Kagome tried not to roll her eyes as she pulled her phone out.

Just like last time.

Inuyasha's first, kind message read: _Here_.

The second, sent a few minutes later, stated: _HELLO?_

When would he learn?

She spared a glance at her mother, who had just finished making her second cup of tea that morning. Any second now she would head towards the couch and sit down, getting comfortable. Kagome pursed her lips and sent Inuyasha a reply.

 _I need to wait for my mom to be distracted, hold on._

His response took only a moment. _Fine._

It was then that Kagome saw her opportunity. Her mother was casually throwing a blanket over herself on the couch, about to grab her tea from the side table. Instantly, she rushed into the living room. "Car's here, I'll see you later, Mom!" She kissed her on the cheek and rushed out of the room. "Love you!"

She heard her mom's reply just as she was shutting the front door. Kagome snuck to the side, spotting Inuyasha's familiar silver hair easily. The half-demon was crouched against the house, staring at his phone unhappily. He made no move to acknowledge her as she came closer, but Kagome knew he was well-aware of her presence. She wasn't sure if it was a good thing or a bad thing that he wasn't overtly tracking her anymore. "Hey."

Inuyasha made one last face at his phone before giving her a half-assed wave. "Took you long enough."

"I told you that the timing wouldn't be exact." She climbed onto his back, arms looping around his neck. His sudden speed was something she was used to by know but the colder days made it harder for her to keep her eyes open. Burying her face into the back of his shirt, she waited for the run to be over. It wasn't too bad, hiding behind him. The half-demon was a line of warmth along her front and she wondered, randomly, if he ever really got cold.

Sango was outside in the garage when they arrived. She smiled in greeting, zipping up one of the massive duffels that she knew contained a whole bunch of weapons. "That was quick," she said, looking confused when Inuyasha scowled at her. "What?"

Kagome slid off the half-demon and readjusted her backpack. "I made him wait, apparently. Even though I warned him."

"It wasn't a warning," Inuyasha replied.

"Why are you so unhappy today?" Kagome asked, narrowing her eyes at him. She was hoping that Sango would have some sort of answer, but her friend looked just as confused. "Did something happen?"

"What? No. Stop it." Inuyasha took a couple steps back, glaring. "I don't know what you're going on about."

Sango nudged at Kagome's shoulder with her elbow. "He was fine before he left to get you."

"I'm _still_ fine," Inuyasha retorted, sounding aggravated. "I'm going inside. Does Miroku have the map?"

"I don't know," Sango answered, shrugging.

"For fuck's sake." Inuyasha whipped around on his heel and disappeared into the house.

Kagome watched the whole thing with wide eyes, a little shocked and a lot confused. "Is it just me?"

"That was definitely weird. What did you say to him?"

"Nothing! I came out and he already seemed unhappy at something. He was glaring down at his phone."

Sango hummed. "Was he texting someone? We're the only ones that have his number, plus Mushin."

"I couldn't see." Kagome shook her head. "Maybe a run without carrying me will do him some good."

There was a quick snort from her friend. "Uh huh," she replied, grinning but not making eye contact. She was fiddling with the ATV. "Sure."

Kagome was about to ask what _that_ meant when Inuyasha's voice reached them, loud and irritated sounding. "Sango!"

"What?" she yelled back, nose wrinkling up in confusion.

"Come here!"

"I'm really not fond of this mood," Sango muttered under her breath. She gestured for Kagome to go ahead of her, and the two girls made their way inside. Sango led her towards the kitchen where Mushin was drinking his usual cup of tea and reading the newspaper, while Inuyasha and Miroku were crowded around something. Kagome couldn't really see it, not until they got closer. It was a map, one of those really old ones that the town used to give out at the public library. It focused primarily on Sakura, but it showed other nearby towns as well, plus the large forest that surrounded them.

"Can you look at this?" Inuyasha asked, pointing at some red marks scrawled on the paper. "Miroku is shit at this."

"I'm perfectly fine!" Miroku shot back, narrowing his eyes. "It's fine! This is the radius I think we need to scope out. It's the closest part of the forest to where Mrs. Ohta ran into her so-called grandson. _Plus_ , it's right by where that missing person from Wells lived."

Kagome frowned. "Why was Mrs. Ohta in Wells?"

"Some speciality store, for fabric?" Miroku shrugged. "I was trying to focus more on the general area. Anyways, the shapeshifting demon is likely hanging around there."

"I don't know what you're complaining about," Sango commented to Inuyasha, giving him yet another weird look. "Miroku's markings are fine. He even mapped our route."

Inuyasha blinked at the both of them. Kagome waited, her dark eyes flitting from the half-demon to Sango and then Miroku. While the blue-eyed teen didn't say anything, he looked a little pleased by Sango's compliments. They still weren't looking at each other though, or clearly really talking. They were both just staring at Inuyasha like he was an idiot.

"Fine," the half-demon said suddenly, standing up and immediately leaving the kitchen. "Then grab your gear and let's go. It's going to take a while to get there."

Kagome hurried to catch up, dodging around Miroku and Sango to follow him into the hall. It took a moment to reach him, his strides long but unhurried as he made his way to the garage. "Hey!" she hissed, tapping him on the shoulder. "Hey!"

"What?" Inuyasha demanded, spinning around.

"I know what you're doing!" Kagome gave him a sly smile. "You're trying to get them talking again. Even after you said you wouldn't get involved, you're actively trying to make them work together."

"I'm not–"

"It was Miroku who was pissing you off earlier, wasn't it?" Kagome asked, feeling all the pieces click into place. "He wouldn't talk to Sango about the map, or something?"

The silver-haired teen blinked at her, face impassive. "Are you serious?"

"They're miserable," Kagome whispered. "Everyone can see it! I think it's worse at school since Miroku's been hanging out with that other girl. Lunch is terrible."

"It can't be as bad as driving them to and from school," Inuyasha uttered finally, glaring up at the ceiling. "It's annoying. But I'm still not getting involved; they have to do their own talking."

"Right, yeah. Just nudging them, I get it."

Inuyasha shifted his glare to her.

"Good talk," she whispered, walking by him. Sango and Miroku came in not long after, and all of them got to work setting their ATVs up and getting their weapons ready. Inuyasha waited impatiently, shifting from foot to foot as he studied the map once more.

Then they were all off.

Kagome didn't know how long they travelled for. The ATV underneath her rumbled constantly, her hands tingling at the unfamiliar feel of it. She shook out her hands and tried to peer around Sango, attempting to catch any sight of the half-demon. Miroku was ahead of them, leading the way through some trails and then off some unbeaten paths. It was cloudy but at least not too windy, the trees providing a fair amount of coverage. It could have been worse for a mid-November excursion. If they lived somewhere that actually experienced a real winter, she would have frozen to death by now.

They stopped periodically, Miroku getting off the ATV and waving them over. He and Sango poured over the map, trying to figure out the best way to cover the area. Kagome guessed it was a good thing they could set aside their differences for when it mattered, but it still felt hollow to her, wrong.

They travelled on and off. Inuyasha would backtrack and fill them in on areas he checked, but everything came up empty. Not even a trace of a demon having been there before. Inuyasha was sure he would have been able to smell it if it was recent. Every time they found a place with good coverage, or a place Kagome would think made an ideal spot for hiding out, there was nothing there.

It went on and on like that. Hours went by and Kagome tried to ignore the hunger clawing at her stomach. She had grabbed a bite to eat before leaving that morning, but it had been quick and small. Lunch had definitely passed them by and they were still no closer to finding the lizard-like demon. The areas left unchecked were dwindling, maybe an hour left to search. She really hoped they found it, and soon. Every day that ticked by was another day the demon could kill someone else.

Her stomach growled, quiet enough that over the group conversation no one seemed to hear. Miroku, Sango and Inuyasha were debating which section to check first, closer to the town or deeper into the forest. She pressed a hand to her stomach, willing it to stop when it started again.

"Miroku, get the damn granola bars, please," Inuyasha gritted out suddenly. "You're irritating me. Your idea is stupid."

"What does that even _have in common_?" Miroku exclaimed, waving his arms emphatically in the air.

"Just get the damn bars," Inuyasha snapped. "And we're following my plan. Even if the demon is likely staying deeper in the forest, we have a better chance of catching it if we push in from the town."

"That's not how we used to do it," Sango pointed out, crossing her arms.

"But we were a larger group then," Inuyasha reminded her, not unkindly. "Trust me."

"Fine, but if we lose it in the forest, I'm going to be pissed at you," Miroku pointed out, face buried in one of the bags. Kagome watched as he pulled out four granola bars and started to hand them out. She looked at Inuyasha, but the half-demon wasn't looking at her. His ears though were swivelled towards her, and there was _no way_ that he had missed the sound of her stomach.

Kagome wasn't sure if she was embarrassed or grateful.

They got back onto the ATVs, Kagome with Sango yet again, and they neared the treeline for Wells. The section they were at opened up to a park but she couldn't hear any voices or shouts of children. Inuyasha took off immediately, heading back into the deeper part of the forest. They followed on a separate trail route, Sango going off the path the further along they travelled to cover more space. She only slowed down when a massive tree trunk covered their route, the thick body of it forcing them to detour.

Sango stopped the ATV and looked back at her. "We'll head closer towards Inuyasha and then wind back. You good?"

Kagome was about to shout back when movement caught her eye. She jerked her attention towards the fallen tree, watching as an older man with short, floppy black hair and dark eyes stumbled over. He had to be in his thirties, body covered in loose black slacks and a t-shirt. He wasn't wearing any shoes.

And then she heard Sango sob.

" _Kohaku_ ," she screamed, ripping out the ATV key and nearly falling off the machine in her haste to get off. She ran, full sprint, and the older man smiled suddenly at her, waving.

But that didn't make sense.

Kagome stood up. Kohaku was younger than them. Kohaku had only been a kid. This was _not_ a child. Whatever Sango was seeing was _not_ the same.

"Sango, _no_!" Kagome shouted, grabbing her bow and drawing an arrow from her quiver. She barely lined up, hand releasing the arrow before she made the conscious decision to do so. The arrow narrowly missed the man, who stepped to the side and looked at her, eyes narrowing into slits.

"What the _fuck_ are you doing?" Sango shrieked, whipping around to face her. "That's my brother!" She didn't have any weapons on her, nothing to save her.

"It's not him! That's not what I see, Sango, _come back_!" But it was too late. The older man leapt, nothing human about it, and tackled the young slayer to the ground. Sango screamed, hurt and confusion warring in her tone. Kagome ran forward, another arrow nocked. She tried to aim it towards its legs, where she wouldn't hit Sango, but they were rolling, too hard to track.

Sango was crying, repeating the same thing over and over. "Kohaku, it's me! Kohaku, stop, it's me, it's _me_!" Kagome couldn't let it kill her, couldn't just stand by. She raced forwards, bow in hand and managed to whack it across the demon's face. It stumbled back but barely, and Kagome could see for the first time claws on its mostly human hands.

The demon rolled backwards until it was standing up, crouched. Kagome nocked another arrow, standing in front of Sango. She couldn't tell what the other girl was doing, but she could still hear the sobs, the broken half-words she couldn't form.

The demon narrowed its eyes at her, licking its lips in a quick, inhuman-like dart. "You don't recognize me," it said, voice deep. Kagome shook her head, ignoring the familiarity that clung to the back of her mind. "How could you not recognize your own dead?"

There was a shifting in the trees, and then all of a sudden Inuyasha came crashing down. He tackled the demon, forcing it sideways. Kagome could hear the rumble of the other ATV closing in, knew Miroku was almost there.

Sango's voice trembled at her side. "It looks like Kohaku," she whispered. "Why the fuck does it look like Kohaku?"

They should have expected this. They should have known. They had been so wrapped up in their own personal shit to really focus on what the demon did to its victims, how it tricked them by impersonating a long-lost family member.

But the demon had said 'dead.' Had all of those people been killed, and the families never knew because they were estranged?

All of a sudden, Inuyasha cried out in pain. Kagome could barely see him between the trees so she ran, nocking her arrow once more and letting it fly once the other demon appeared in her sight line. Inuyasha was backed against a tree, seemingly in one piece. Even from there, Kagome could see his golden eyes were wide, confused.

"It's not real!" Kagome yelled. "It's a trick!" She nocked another arrow but the demon leapt into a nearby tree, crawling up it with inhuman speed. Inuyasha wasn't moving, was stuck there. Kagome tried to search the foliage for anything but then there were gunshots and Miroku entered the clearing, gun aimed high.

"I saw something move up there," he said, sparing her a glance. "What the hell is happening?"

"It looks like a dead relative, and it's different for all of us. It's going to be someone you know, but it's not real," she explained, as quickly as she could. "Inuyasha, _it's not real_."

The half-demon snarled then, vicious like she had never heard. He leaped into the trees, disappearing though there was the sound of growling all around them. Kagome couldn't keep track, could only see moving branches and falling leaves. She twisted around at the sound of Sango approaching, her hands still bare of any weapon. There were tears running down her face, her skin far too pale. She was probably in shock and Kagome had no idea what to do. Everything was happening so damn fast, too uncontrollable to get a grasp of.

And then Inuyasha crashed back down to the ground, the struggling mass of the floppy-haired man underneath him. Kagome watched as the half-demon snarled at him, hands and legs pinning the demon's own. Inuyasha looked furious, tense and coiled, but he didn't go in for the kill. He just stared, growling and waiting.

Beside her, Miroku's sharp inhale was a momentary distraction. His own blue eyes were focused sharply on the demon, seeing a totally different person.

"It's not real," Kagome repeated again, firmly. "It's not real."

Inuyasha heaved a breath but still didn't move. Sango ran to him and Kagome was terrified that she would do something stupid, that she would push Inuyasha off. It had her following close behind, screaming no, but Sango simply collapsed to the ground beside them.

"Oh god," she gasped out, caught on another choking sob. "You look just like him. You look just like Kohaku."

Miroku pushed past Kagome and sat down beside the crying girl, an arm wrapping around her shoulders. He gently forced her face away, burying it into his chest and covering her. "I see my dad," he whispered.

"Please don't kill me," the demon pleaded, struggling against Inuyasha's hold. Kagome watched as the man started to cry, face flushing red. "I don't deserve this. Don't you want me here?"

Inuyasha didn't even snarl. The sound he made was caught in his throat, like a wounded animal struggling for breath. Kagome sat down beside Miroku and reached out, touching Inuyasha's heaving shoulder.

"Whoever you're seeing, it's not them," Kagome pleaded.

Inuyasha shook his head but his golden eyes wouldn't break the gaze of the crying man below him.

"It's not," Kagome repeated and then shoved herself between them, hands digging into the stomach of the demon.

A desperate scream filled the air, vibrating and demonic, and just underneath was the sound of Sango shrieking, pleading, begging. Kagome stared at the demon's face, watched as its face contorted in pain, as its eyes turned to yellow. Light was bursting all around her, surrounding her, and then Inuyasha's growling shout was in her ear. She was tackled forwards, pushed away from the purifying demon. Her face was in the freezing cold dirt, her body covered by another.

Everything hit her all at once.

Kagome lay there unmoving, just trying to keep an even breath. It took a few moments – seconds, minutes, she couldn't tell – before the panting body above her shifted off. Still she didn't move, ignoring the lump in her throat and trying to swallow past it. She needed to breathe, to remain calm. She was okay. They were all okay.

She _wasn't_ okay.

A hand touched her shoulder and then rolled her over, gently. Kagome didn't want to open her eyes. She knew without looking that it was Inuyasha beside her, still so close. His body was warm against the freezing chill of the earth around them.

"I couldn't kill my mom," Inuyasha confessed, his voice raw and broken like he'd been screaming for hours.

"I didn't remember my dad," Kagome gasped out. When the sob building up her throat threatened to break past her lips, she didn't stop it.

They stayed there for a long, long time.

* * *

The ride back to the house was a blur. Kagome tried her best to focus, but it was hard enough just to stay on the trail. Sango was too shaken up to drive so she was riding on the back of Miroku's, clinging on to him for dear life. Inuyasha was just…gone. Ahead, not away, but he was on his own. Kagome wasn't sure if that was a good idea or not but she didn't know what else to do.

How had she forgotten her own father?

A part of her brain whispered that of course she wouldn't recognize him. He had died before Sota was even born, when she herself was still three years old. And there weren't many photos of him around the house, save for maybe a handful near the bedrooms. They had been there for so long that it hadn't phased her, not as she grew older and lived what was normal for her. She missed her father in an abstract way, but her mother and grandfather had done everything they could to ensure they were always enough.

Father's Day was celebrated with Grandpa. Mother's Day with her mom. Her father was like a side note, a scribble in the margins of her life story that was important enough to write but easy enough to forget. She didn't really _miss_ him because she didn't really _remember_ him. Even hazy memories didn't include a face, but the voice… The voice the demon used that been familiar, and now she knew why.

It was weird, what the mind remembered and lost.

Mushin was outside with Inuyasha by the time they pulled up. The old man looked exhausted, saddened and Kagome knew that the half-demon told him what happened. The moment Miroku and Sango climbed off, Mushin wrapped both of them up in his arms. Miroku clung back to him for a moment, his blue eyes disappearing behind shut-tight eyelids. Sango just huddled in, wrapping around herself like she could hold the pieces together. She was still crying.

No one said a word as Mushin ushered them into the living room. He murmured something about snacks and water, but truthfully Kagome no longer felt hungry. Everything sat horribly wrong in her stomach, twisting and filled with bile.

"Can we–" Sango took a breath and sniffled. "Can we call it in?"

The words meant nothing to Kagome, but obviously it held some sort of meaning for Inuyasha and Miroku. They both nodded and she watched as the three of them started to take off the couch cushions, throwing them onto the floor. They were tossing the pillows too, and the other throw blankets. Miroku stepped out of the circle and gestured for Kagome to follow, heading down the hall towards their bedrooms. He glanced back towards the living room to make sure they were out of earshot before sighing. "Calling it in is something her mom used to do, on really bad hunts. It was mainly for Kohaku, when he was scared of a demon coming back, or scared that his parents weren't going to come home one day. We just pile pillows and blankets on the floor and stay there. Sometimes just for a few hours. Sometimes overnight."

It was painful to hear how they were doing something built for Kohaku when Sango had basically just seen a fake version of him get killed. She nodded though and went into Sango's room, grabbing the duvet and pillows and dragging them back with her.

For the longest time, they watched television on a low volume and picked at the sandwiches Mushin put together. The old man prepared some tea, making sure to give each of them a cup and refilling it if needed. A few times, Kagome watched him open his mouth to say something before shutting it, keeping quiet. She doubted that anything he had to say would go well, no matter how good his intentions were.

They stayed that way until nighttime. Mushin had gone to bed at their urging, though Inuyasha pointed out the odd time he would climb back up the stairs, just to listen in and check on them. Kagome wanted to text her mom, she really did, but she had no idea what to say. She didn't want to go home, not like this. Still, the fact that she hadn't remembered her father had shaken her up, and she didn't know how to deal with it.

Miroku disappeared when it was nearing midnight, coming back with a bottle of rum. He sat down on the cushion bed and uncapped it. Inuyasha wrinkled his nose but didn't say a word.

"Is this also a part of it?" Kagome asked quietly, just to break the silence.

Sango made an aborted laugh, shaking her head. "Definitely not. That's only been a recent addition."

Miroku offered the bottle to Sango, who took the first swig. It was a big one, enough that Kagome could follow the line of her throat as she swallowed. She passed it off to Miroku who followed suit, who passed it off to her. The alcohol burned going down. Sniffling, Kagome took another quick swig of it before passing it off to Inuyasha.

The half-demon took the biggest drink of them all, several heavy chugs that had Kagome wincing. She watched his face grimace as he stopped and handed it back to Sango, his ears drooping on top of his head. "Can you even get drunk?" she asked. Her throat still burned.

"If I drink enough, yeah." Inuyasha leaned back against the arm of the couch, arms wrapped around his legs.

"I had to take care of him once, when we were younger," Miroku said suddenly, giving a tiny half-smile. "He raided Asato's liquor cabinet and started drinking this weird green stuff. He downed the whole bottle and I found him hiding, wasted in his old bedroom lying on the floor."

"I was testing a theory." Inuyasha shrugged. "Asato was teaching me the differences between humans and demons. I wanted to know which one I was."

Kagome took the bottle back from Miroku and frowned as she took another sip. "But you're both," she stated. "You can't be just one."

Golden eyes stared at her for a moment, far too intense. He seemed to shake himself out of it and then grabbed the bottle from her hands. "You should get another bottle; this one's mine."

Sango stood up. "On it," she announced.

And they stayed like that. Inuyasha finished off the rest of the original bottle while the rest of them drank the other. On too little food and an adrenaline crash, it took no time at all before Kagome was tipsy, feeling the effects weigh her down. Across from her, Sango was laughing this weird, bubbly thing. She hiccupped and grinned, grabbing at Miroku's arm. "Do you remember when Mom found the couch cushions destroyed and blamed Inuyasha for it?"

"I _always_ got the blame for it," Inuyasha grumbled, narrowing his golden gaze at Miroku. "And it was all his fault!"

"I made fake claws!" Miroku exclaimed. Kagome distantly thought that they were probably too loud, that Mushin below could hear them and knew exactly what they were up to. The old man didn't appear though and Miroku kept telling his story, of how he fashioned knives to his fingers because he wanted to be like Inuyasha. "You were like my hero!"

Sango burst out laughing, and she kept doing so even as tears slid down her cheeks. She wiped at the haphazardly, her foot shoving at Inuyasha's knee and making the half-demon actually grin.

Kagome blinked and shook her head. She stared at Inuyasha some more but his smile was still there, big and easy. It wasn't a smirk or a half-smile or even just a turn of the lips. It was a _smile_. Kagome didn't realize she wanted to poke him until it was too late, her body already half on top of him as her fingers found his cheeks and pressed.

"What are you doing?" Inuyasha asked.

Kagome noticed that even with her clambering over him, pushing at him from weird angles, the guy wasn't even moving. He was so, stupidly strong. She smiled down at him and patted his cheek. "You're smiling too!" she announced happily. "I've never seen you smile like this."

"He did it as a child," Miroku goaded, "but then he hit puberty and it was all emo after that."

Sango grinned, eyes still watery. "Remember when Dad made us all dress up that one Christmas in sweaters and Inuyasha refused to smile for a single photo?"

"Where _is_ that photo?" Miroku asked, far too exuberant. They were all drunk, at the level that was borderline sloppy but not quite there. It seemed, though, to make them lighter and Kagome couldn't regret it for a second.

"No," Inuyasha hissed. His hands gripped at Kagome's hips and shifted her to the side, just enough to see his best friend. Kagome lost her balance a little but the half-demon just sat her down right beside him, their thighs touching and his one hand still around her waist. He was warm and comfortable, and Kagome was too distracted by Sango and Miroku's constant bubble of laughter to really notice it.

They passed the bottle around again, just tiny sips here and there. Miroku went into the kitchen to grab some crackers, and they ate those while Sango tried to pick a TV show, complaining about every single one of them.

"Nighttime TV sucks," she whined, skipping to another channel. "No wonder we all just go to sleep."

"I think it sucks because most people _do_ go to sleep," Miroku said, earning a hand to his face. He laughed, grabbing at Sango's arm and pulling her into him. It became some sort of tussle, the remote long lost in the sheets. Kagome squealed as Miroku almost kneed her in the face but Inuyasha pulled her out of the way just in time, her back pressing against his chest.

Mushin did show up then, face tired as he took in the broken crackers along the floor, the bottles of alcohol and all of their flushed expressions. He rubbed at his eyes, like he was hoping it was a bad dream. "Alright. You guys need to go to sleep."

"Please don't make me," Sango begged, shaking her head. "I know it'll be bad."

Mushin's gaze scanned the rest of them again before sighing heavily. "Fine, but the alcohol goes away. Okay?"

"Okay," Miroku answered. "I'll hide it."

The old man's lips were pursed but he only shook his head. "Pick a show then, alright? I'll stay with you until you fall asleep."

"Prepare to not sleep then," Sango replied. She reached around the blanket until she found the remote and went back to searching out channels. Inuyasha left Kagome's side to help Mushin find a single cushion for the couch that they didn't really need, and then the old man sat there, helping them settle. Sango was firmly planted in a diagonal across their makeshift mattress, so Kagome curved around her. She stared at the TV, at some old show that she didn't know the name of but remembered her mom watching at some point. Mushin spoke in low tones to Miroku, but she couldn't be bothered to really listen in.

She was tired, she realized. It had to be at least three in the morning, but she didn't honestly know.

Kagome wanted to check but before she could summon up the energy to look, her eyes drifted closed and she fell asleep.

* * *

The next morning was slow and incredibly quiet. Light filtered in from the curtains but none of them moved. They were all in a pile, some disjointed connection between each of their bodies. Kagome wasn't sure how they managed it, but somehow last night it had worked. She was curled at Sango's side, her body angled away at the feet to hang off of the couch cushions all over the floor. Sango herself had her head pillowed on Miroku's stomach, her one arm loosely raised above her head to wrap around him. She was awake, blinking magenta eyes at the ceiling, but she didn't move. Kagome didn't say anything, just traced the line up to Miroku's still sleeping face. She couldn't see Inuyasha but knew he was somewhere behind her, the heat of him radiating into her back. There was a press against her shoulder blades but she didn't know what it was.

It was peaceful, anyways.

She wasn't sure who was the first to move. Eventually, they all just started to get up. There were quiet mumbles of 'good morning' and a few questions about how they all slept. Sango responded but it was haltingly, a little broken. She kept staring at the black television like it had any kind of answers at all.

"It's barely eight," Miroku whined. He rested his head on Sango's shoulder for a second, heaving out a sigh before sitting up fully.

"I'll start making breakfast," Inuyasha muttered, getting to his feet. "I hear Mushin downstairs anyways. He'll be up soon to check on us."

"To make sure we're not hung over," Miroku amended.

"Pretty sure I am," Kagome groaned, rubbing at her face. "Or just really, really tired."

And then, out of the blue, Inuyasha growled. It was fierce, and sharp, and horrifically jarring. Kagome jumped in the air and then stood up, confused as her friends did the same. Inuyasha had already disappeared down the hall, but he hadn't gone for the kitchen. Before she knew what she was doing, Kagome ran for the front door. Sango was leading the way but Miroku nipped at her heels, Inuyasha's next snarl worst than the last. She heard the front door open and then Inuyasha broke off, just in time for them to round the corner.

"Fuck, get back to the living room," Inuyasha ordered, hand at his nose like he was trying to block a scent.

"What happened?" Sango demanded.

"Get to the living room," Inuyasha repeated, shaking his head and stepping towards them. He loomed, trying to push them back with his proximity. It didn't work though, Miroku squeezing through and running to the door. Inuyasha swore, but he didn't make another move to stop them.

It wasn't until Miroku starting dry heaving, moving back into the lobby that Kagome started to feel the familiar tingle of fear slither down her spine. She didn't want to see, didn't want to know, but her footsteps grew nearer and nearer. No one was stopping her and Sango was right beside her.

"Don't," Miroku gagged out but it was too late.

On the ground, just outside of the door, was the partially charred remains of a human. It was a woman, with long black hair still attached on one side of her face, the side that was bruised and mottled, but still mostly in tact.

And there, seemingly clawed against the woman's skin, was a name that spanned from the forehead to her collarbone in big, bloody letters.

It read _Inuyasha_.

* * *

 **TBC**

* * *

 **Responses to Anon Reviews:**

NS: Hmmm. Well first of all, thank you so much! You're so sweet. Secondly, my writing process is pretty different for each story. For this story, particularly, I actually have a lot of it outlined. I have 3 story arcs, and currently only 3 subplots but there will be at least a couple more. They're loose plans of what I want. Then right now I'm about 5 chapters ahead in planning, so I know roughly what I want each chapter to contain until Chapter 16. A lot of that is making sure I answer questions I pose in my stories. I have an excel doc for each fic I write, where I have tabs for characters (major and minor), chapter details that breakdown everything that happens because LITERALLY every time I want to reference something I can never find it. It also has any story plans, questions I still need to answer, foreshadowing plans (like how early I want to hint at something and how often I want to mention it until fruition) and then little things like maps or house design. It's more so I keep my story straight. HOWEVER, like I said, this story is super different. Generally my process is imagine a beautiful scene in which two characters fall in love, and then figure out some sort of plot around it. So you know. VASTLY different XD And yes, I can't get the tumblr link to work. But if you just enter in witchygirl99 "dot" tumblr "dot" com, you should find me! Thanks dear!

KAIRU: Oh wow, thank you so much dear :D That's so kind of you to say! I'm so, so happy that you're loving the fic. And you caught that, huh? Bravo! It's all about that step-by-step progress they're making. We're getting there, I swear.

Lola1991: Yeah, I totally know what you mean! I wanted to make her a part of the story in a far more real way. She's still going to be normal Kaede, and the whole "sight" thing will be better explained later on, but she'll be pretty integral moving forward so I'm glad you like her! Hope you enjoyed this chapter :D

SHOOK: AH. WELL HOPEFULLY I UPDATED NOT TOO LONG BECAUSE YOUR HEART NEEDS TO BE HAPPY AND BEATING :D Thanks darling!

Gabriela: XD Thank you so much! I hope this chapter was just as good :)

Guest: Thank you so much! I'm so glad that you're enjoying it!

Guest: Nope, you're the wonderful one. Thanks!

Mal: She has been holding up, and I think even the latest Kagome chapters have been pretty clear of the dangers and situations she in. But as you just read, this chapter hurt a lot (or, it hurt me at least). I do love my new job, thank you! It's been pretty good so far. Kind of weird to be with a new company and re-learning, since I haven't really had to do that in a long, long time. But it's worth it. Happy Holidays love!

Aniar00: Ah, I totally get that. I usually avoid it because my husband tells me he wants to go to sleep, so I'll usually just go with. Otherwise, I'll stay up for hours reading and it's so bad. I feel like crap the next day. Hopefully you didn't! But wow, thank you so much. I'm so glad that the story was worth the morning read :D And thank you, about your comments on Kagome. That's the kind of picture I wanted to paint, honestly. It means a lot.

Anonnie: Thank you so, so much! Super glad that you enjoyed it :D

Guest: Oh thank you, dear! Hope the wait was worth it.

Guest: Well, now you have it. I'm so happy that you're liking this story of mine. It means a lot!

The Well: Aww, thank you so much! I am hoping to (one day) publish something, but I need to write a story that I actually like still by the end XD

MLQ: Oh wow, thank you so much. Your message was honestly one of the nicest I've read in a while and it's so lovely to hear. Thank you, thank you! It makes me so happy that there are people who really enjoy my little stories :D I love all of the characters in this fic, but you're right, Inuyasha is a favourite of mine. There's so much left to tell of him too, which we'll start to get more into shortly so yay! Thanks again love!

* * *

 **Author's Note:** This is basically rock bottom. There is so much still to come in the story, but I promise you it won't be as painful as this. I promise. HAPPY, HAPPY HOLIDAYS everyone, and a very Happy New Year! I'll still be posting every day until January 5th.

 **As always, feedback is love.**


	12. Chapter 12

**Author's Note:** So, long story short, I a) fell into a horrible work trap so I barely had time to write, b) hated this chapter and re-wrote it about a billion times, and c) had to actually cut this chapter in half because if 30 pages isn't enough to get through all you want to cover, you've made a mistake.

I'm doing Camp NaNoWriMo, so the next chapter should be up within a reasonable timeframe.

Thank you so much for all of your patience and kindness to me these last few months!

 **Warnings:** The last chapter was rock bottom, and I swear we're digging our way out. But it'll take some time to get back up, you know? There is also a discussion about dead bodies, as well as a few moral conversations that go a little sideways or aren't really resolved. Nothing crazy though.

* * *

 **That Flesh of Mine**

 **Chapter Twelve**

 _Oh father tell me: do we get what we deserve? We get what we deserve. Way down we go... You let your feet run wild. The time has come as we all go down but before the fall, do you dare to look them right in the eyes? Oh 'cause they will run you down, down to the dark. Yes they will run you down, down 'till you fall. And they will run you down, down to your core. Oh 'till you can't crawl no more. And way down we go._

 _(Way Down we Go, Kaleo)_

* * *

At first, Inuyasha had no idea what to expect. It had all been sort of sensory. From the moment he had woken up, the half-demon could barely breathe. Everything had been taken over by Kagome's intoxicating scent, clinging to the pillows and blankets around them. On his clothes. On _everything_. Maybe that was why he hadn't realized instantly that something was wrong. Or maybe yesterday had been more exhausting than Inuyasha had realized. Killing the lizard demon – killing what appeared to be his own mother, begging to live, begging for mercy—

It wasn't until the moment he had left the safety of their sleeping arrangement, of Kagome's scent and the warmth of his friends around him that his hackles rose. Having separated himself from the group of them, the sense of wrongness enveloped him like a cloud, thick and hazy. He could smell the blood and the char, the rotting flesh of a human. There were no sounds, no warnings. Just smell. Inuyasha did the only thing he could think to do: attack.

There wasn't anything to attack though, nothing but the recently dead.

He thought the smell was bad _inside_ the house.

It was the scent that got to him first, more so than what he was seeing. Pungent and thick, coppery. He could practically taste it in his mouth, forcing the half-demon to swallow back a gag. He heard the others, so close and closing in. That was when the image of what laid before him finally clicked, like a camera in his mind. And just like that, he saw things he didn't want to see. Remembered emotions he didn't want to feel. It hit him like a freight train, a slam against his ribs that nearly choked him. He stared at the woman on the porch before him–

On the grass outside of the burning house–

In his memories of–

Inuyasha slammed the door and tried to stop it, to stop _them_. But he should have known, and really, how could he have protected his best friends from this?

Kagome ran into the bathroom, the sound of puking following shortly behind. Sango and Miroku stood huddled together just inside the door, looking queasy. They were no strangers to death, but never like this. Never human and fresh and tortured.

His name was clawed onto the body. _His name_.

"What the hell is going on?" Mushin demanded, thundering up the stairs. He took one look at them and his confusion morphed to a level of alarm Inuyasha had never before witnessed.

"Someone left a dead human woman at our front door," Inuyasha stated, breathing as shallowly as he could. It still didn't feel like enough. "Someone carved my name onto her." There was more he wanted to say, more that was trying to crawl up his throat and burst out. But the half-demon swallowed it down, pushed the thoughts aside. Not now.

Not now.

"What the fuck do we do?" Miroku exclaimed. "It's not like we can call the police!"

"Go to the living room," Mushin barked, trying to push them all back just like Inuyasha had been attempting to before. "All of you, now. Get over there."

"But—" Sango's protest died the moment Mushin gently pushed at her shoulder, twisting her back.

The old man was agitated but for the first time he looked in control, a sort of deadly calm that came with years of experience in dealing with horrors. "Go to the living room, I'll be there in a second. Please."

Miroku managed to steer Sango away, just in time for Kagome to come out pale and shaky. Her dark eyes went from him to the door to Mushin. Inuyasha was positive he didn't imagine the way her lip trembled.

"Living room," Inuyasha coaxed, gesturing with his head for her to go down the hall.

The girl nodded and took off, gait steady as she disappeared from view. Inuyasha watched her go, forcing himself to stand still and not sway towards her, desperate to smell _anything_ but what was surrounding him, suffocating him.

"You too," Mushin declared, pointing a finger his way. "Living room."

"But it's because of me," Inuyasha argued. "It's _my_ name—"

"We'll get there," the old man interrupted, shaking his head. "But for the love of all things decent in this world, give me five minutes."

He didn't like it. He didn't like stepping away because it felt like leaving himself exposed, vulnerable for attack. The burnt flesh was too much of a warning, too much of a threat in his mind. His home should never smell like this. The wrongness needed to be eradicated.

"Inuyasha," Mushin stressed, " _go_."

Clenching his fists tight, the half-demon spun around before he could say something he'd regret. He could hear Miroku, Sango and Kagome all taking in low tones in the living room. They were just finishing up putting the room back together, couch cushions back in their seats and blankets folded up. The extra duvets sat in a corner but none of them seemed inclined to do anything with them, knowing they'd have to cross the front door to get to the bedrooms.

"What's he doing?" Sango asked immediately, the moment her magenta eyes caught him. "He's not calling anyone, right? The police can't come here. The body has _your_ name on it and we can't afford to have them come in and investigate our house—"

"He's not going to call the police," Inuyasha said, as firmly as possible.

Miroku nodded. "He's done this for years. He'll know what to do."

"Dead bodies typically mean you call the police," Kagome said, still sounding a little shaken. She wasn't curled in on herself though, her arms simply crossed as she stood in the circle with them. "Did you recognize her?"

They all seemed to be looking at him for an answer. Maybe they discussed it amongst themselves already, or maybe the name on the dead woman's face was already a damning piece of evidence. "No," he answered, feeling frustration coil in his gut. "How the hell would I know her?"

Miroku's hands instantly went up, placating. "We didn't think you did, but maybe there was something we didn't know. I don't know."

"She looked older," Kagome stated. "Do you think she has a family?"

"Probably." Sango wrapped her arms around her stomach. Inuyasha could smell the uneasiness coming from all of them, wafting up and around. It did nothing to lessen his own worries, his ears tracking Mushin's movements in the front hall as best as possible. The old man was going back down the stairs, muttering something too low to hear under his breath. "What are we going to do? We can't call the police but we can't just bury her in some unmarked grave, either. She has to mean something to someone."

The four of them all went silent. Inuyasha could hear all their heartbeats, far too loud. He tried to push past them, to listen to Mushin. He was downstairs and talking, meaning he was likely on the phone. But with _who_?

"Do you even legally exist?" Kagome asked, a little awkward. She winced as the question came out, clearly hating how it sounded. "I mean—"

"Technically, he does," Miroku answered, beating him to it. "Under a different name, he has a birth certificate and driver's license. Asato and Maiho made sure they were forged, and they're pretty legit, but it's still not safe. If police were to seriously investigate, they'd find out something was wrong."

"How do you even go about getting those?"

"The slaying community has a lot of illegal facets to it, if you look hard enough. Usually not to cover the existence of a half-demon though. More like badges or something to investigate crime scenes, or fake identities for credit cards. There are slayers out there who do this and nothing else."

Kagome's eyebrows rose. "Seriously?"

"We don't have anything to do with them," Sango quickly amended, shooting Miroku a look. "Only a few things, like Inuyasha's identity. And getting weapons, since we can't exactly use registered guns."

The half-demon watched the other girl's expression, but she merely looked curious. Her uneasiness never wavered, but it was no different than Miroku's or Sango's. He would have asked but Mushin walked in there finally, expression serious. His cell phone was clutched in his hand. He gestured for them all to sit down, though the old man remained standing, pacing near the TV.

"What are we going to do?" Miroku asked, breaking the silence.

"I'm taking care of it," Mushin stated. "Don't ask how. One day I'll tell you but until then, let me handle this."

"You're _taking care_ of it?" Inuyasha asked sarcastically. He leaned forward on the couch, glaring. "There's a dead body with my goddamn name on it. How are you going to take care of it?"

The old man sighed explosively. "Did I not just say to not ask?"

"That's not exactly comforting," Sango pressed, putting her hand on Inuyasha's shoulder. "Is the woman's family even going to find out?"

For a long moment, Mushin simply looked at each other them. His gaze was sharp and assessing, lips moving as he pursed them into a thin line. "There are ways to handle this, in the community," he answered finally, staggering each word. "Demons disappear over time so there's no body to hide. But sometimes, there are demons that do these sorts of evil things. Torture and mutilation and other horrors I can't say. Slayers tend to have a home base, minus a few, so this isn't the first time something like this has happened before."

Inuyasha had never heard of another slayer being blackmailed by demons, but he figured it would have been something Sango's parents kept to themselves. Kohaku had still been so young. "So, you what? Have a contact?"

"Essentially." Mushin paced a little more, feet dragging on the hardwood. "There's one close enough that they'll be able to help. The police will find the body, likely in the next day or two."

"And what about Inuyasha's name?" Miroku asked. "I'm not an investigator, but I would put a lot of meaning into figuring out who that person was."

"Our Inuyasha doesn't exist." The old man rubbed at his eyes. "How many people know about you?"

The half-demon knew the question was directed towards him. It wasn't a difficult answer. "You guys. Goryomaru and Kaede. That's it."

All of a sudden, Kagome's scent changed, the slightest bit. It made Inuyasha look at her, watching as horror crept along her face and drained all colour. "Wait," she said. Her tone sounded completely miserable. "My friends at high school. They've met him. They know his name."

" _What_?" Inuyasha snarled. "You _told_ them–"

The shoulder on his hand tightened and jerked him back, enough to stop him from finishing the sentence. Sango didn't look the least bit surprised but she was focused in on Kagome. They were sharing some kind of look, one that made Kagome wince before turning away. Miroku seemed just as confused as he was. "It's your fault, actually," Sango finally said to him. "The Halloween party."

"The hell did _I_ do?"

"You came and got me," Kagome explained. Her hands wrung together, shifting. "Yuka, Eri and Ayumi all saw you. They thought we had matching costumes because of the ears, and then you kept saying how we had to leave. They knew we left together when the lights went out. I had to tell them _something_. They only know your first name, and that you're friends with Sango and Miroku. Nothing else."

"And they clearly saw you when you picked us up this week. You were glaring at them, remember?" Sango added dryly.

"I was _not_ –"

"Guys!" Miroku yelled out, quieting Inuyasha and silencing whatever Sango was going to say in retaliation. "This isn't helpful."

"I'll take care of it," Mushin said again. "But I want you all out of the house, for as long as you can be. I don't want you around this."

It was Inuyasha's turn to make a face, unable to school his expression. _Go somewhere_? Where the hell was he going to go? The half-demon could feel his frustration growing, building from the moment Mushin forced him back into the living room. He could still smell the charred decay, now that he knew what it smelled like. Kagome was on the other couch and though her scent was strong, it wasn't enough. What he really wanted to do was go for a run, to disappear into the trees for a little while and leave the house behind.

"I'll drop you guys off wherever you want," Inuyasha sighed, exhausted. He could leave the pick-up truck in one of those trail lots by the forest. As long as no one was around, he could go into the trees pretty easily.

"Uh, no," Miroku said, pointing a finger at him. "You're staying with us."

Inuyasha frowned. "In the ten years we've lived together, we've only ever gone out when I'm human. There's a reason for that, remember?"

"We'll just put your hood up," Sango replied easily, "We can go to the movies or something."

"I have gold-coloured eyes, _silver hair_ and my ears are tiny triangles on top of my head." Inuyasha didn't know why he was fighting it so hard. Well, he did, in a way. Something like this made him just want to run and get away from it all: the smells, the fear, the death. Yesterday he watched his mother beg for her life before his eyes. This morning had consisted of only Kagome's scent and the smell of a dead woman on their front porch with his name clawed into her.

So yeah, running would have felt really good.

But… He couldn't leave the rest of them unprotected. There was clearly some other threat around, and even if it was targeting Inuyasha, that didn't mean his friends were safe. In fact, it meant the opposite.

Miroku groaned. "Come on! Just…it's one day, right? We can go and grab breakfast and eat it in the car. We'll find something else to do."

"As long as it's away from here," Mushin stated. "But keep me informed."

"I'm going to call my mom," Kagome murmured, standing up. "I'll just let her know about our plans."

"See? Like that." Mushin pointed at Kagome as she left. "Miroku, you'll tell me, right?"

"Yeah, of course." His friend grimaced. "Once we figure it out."

"Let's get out of the house first. We'll plan the rest of the day out after." Sango stood up then, tapping the half-demon on the shoulder before exiting.

Once inside of his room, he focused on breathing shallowly, on not letting the smell get the better of him. Nothing would make it go away, not a closed door or hiding in the basement. It was too permeating, too thick and cloying. Changing his clothes and heading into the bathroom, the half-demon washed his face and tied back his hair. It would make it easier to hide in his sweater, if he had too.

The movie theatre was a stupid idea though. He wasn't doing that at _all._

"Hey." Miroku poked his head in, blue eyes assessing him quickly. "You okay?"

"Fine."

His best friend sighed loudly, used to Inuyasha by now. He sat down on the counter and stared at the half-demon, unamused. "This can't be something you just brush off."

Not this talk. Hell, not right now. "I'm fine," he repeated, desperation adding an edge to his voice he didn't like. "It's just another demon. We'll kill it soon enough."

"Hey, are you guys ready?" Sango appeared from behind them, leaning on the doorframe. "I don't know how much longer I can stay here."

"Yeah," Miroku agreed. Inuyasha didn't have to voice his thoughts on the matter. He was sure his friends could tell by his expression alone.

Kagome stepped in then suddenly, her dark brown eyes gazing at the front lobby before blocking them all in. She bit her lip, arms crossing as if preparing to defend herself. Inuyasha had no idea what the hell was going on in her mind. "If you guys want… I have an idea."

"On what?" Miroku asked.

"Where we can go, after breakfast, I mean. We don't have to but it will probably be easier than anywhere else?" She winced a little, as if she hated the way the words sounded. "We can just go to my house."

"Is your family not home?"

"They…are. Well, Sota's out until dinner time but they won't care if we spend the day. We can watch movies or whatever and it's Sunday night dinner, so Mom will make a ridiculous amount of food. It's fine."

Inuyasha shrugged. "I can drop you all off."

"No," Kagome countered, "you can come too. My family doesn't know demons are real. They're going to think it's weird that you have silver hair, or whatever, but they'll think you dye it like that. There's no way they'll just take one look at you and think _demon_. You're wearing a big, cozy sweater."

The half-demon blinked and then looked at what he was wearing, unable to stop himself. And wait, was she blushing?

"She has a point," Sango murmured, shrugging. There was a grin on her lips that Inuyasha didn't like one bit. "And it'll make things easier, unless you actually want to go to the movies."

He didn't. He _hated_ the movies, could barely tolerate the sticky seats and sound of children obnoxiously chewing when he was human. "Fine."

This wasn't going to end well. And really, what was letting a few more people know his name? Didn't they just _prove_ how that was a bad idea?

His friends left the bathroom, heading towards the garage. There wasn't anything to do but follow them, making sure to grab his hat on the way by. Her mother may not question his silver hair or golden eyes, but the ears would fucking get her. Inuyasha was positive on that.

* * *

If someone asked, Inuyasha would forever deny that he was delaying them. He wasn't driving slower, or eating slower in the car. Just because the others finished eating first didn't mean anything.

Miroku's blue gaze was heavily amused. "Enjoying your breakfast?"

That didn't deserve a response.

"I thought you hated breakfast sandwiches."

Sango pushed forward then, leaning heavily against Miroku's seat as she peered at him. "Maybe that's why he's taking forever to eat. We're going to freeze to death in here before he finishes."

Inuyasha rolled his eyes and forced the rest of the food in his mouth. He didn't really like breakfast sandwiches – that much was true – but he wasn't going to voice the real problem. No, that they would all find out sooner rather than later, when they went into Kagome's house and her whole family went into hysterics.

There was a reason Inuyasha was always in hiding. There was a reason Asato homeschooled him, and Maiho always bought his clothes for him.

The drive took a bit of time, at least. The roads were empty, the lull of Sunday morning keeping everyone home. It made getting there easy, but _too easy_. Inuyasha tried not to glare out the windshield. For whatever reason, Miroku and Sango didn't seem to have a care in the world. It felt a little strange; Inuyasha felt like this should be a bigger deal. Meeting Kagome's family was a _big deal_. Wasn't it? The last person Inuyasha met outside of their circle was Kaede, who was deep into the demon world anyways. The person before that? A demon slayer. So really, this was uncharted territory. This was interacting with humans that had no idea of his true existence.

Why weren't his friends more worried?

Inuyasha was parking before he could think of an answer. Sango and Kagome got out near instantly, but Miroku hesitated a moment to send him a glance. "You good?" he asked, casually.

All he could do was grunt because what was he really going to say? _Are you and Sango out of your minds?_ He bit back a sigh and got out, double-checking that his hat was secure before walking up the driveway. It was a particularly cold day, the wind harsher than usual and the sun in hiding. It made him press his hat down once more.

The Higurashi household was…nice. Inuyasha entered last and made sure to take off his shoes before leaving the front mat. He was trying to process the sounds of the house, the footsteps coming closer and—

"Sango, hello!" A woman with short black hair and kind brown eyes came in, practically beaming. She could only be Kagome's mother, their looks so similar and smiles so genuine. She hugged Sango first, who looked ecstatic at the attention.

"Hi Mrs. H," Sango replied. "Thanks for having us over today."

"Of course!" The woman's eyes wandered then and Inuyasha hated the way he locked up, feeling every muscle in his body tense. He had to tamp down hard on the urge to flinch when her mother's eyes took him in, but all she did was smile and look at Kagome. "Are you going to introduce me to your friends?"

"Mom, this is Inuyasha and Miroku." Kagome waved her hands between them. "They–"

But whatever she was going to say was completely cut off when Mrs. Higurashi stepped forward, eyeing Inuyasha critically. Instantly he felt his heartrate spike, his face growing hot with the realization that this was it. This was where it was all going to fall apart and they were barely in the house for five minutes.

Some kind of record, at least.

Mrs. Higurashi clapped her hands. "You have beautiful hair! How do you maintain that colour?"

…What?

" _Mom_ ," Kagome said, sounding scandalized.

Miroku made a desperate choking noise and then tried to desperately cover it up with a cough. He was failing miserably.

"What?" Mrs. Higurashi asked. "You know I'm getting tired of dying my roots every three weeks. It was just a question! Silver hair is so hard to maintain." She turned her attention back to the half-demon, still _smiling_. Did she ever stop? "Do you use that blue shampoo? To keep the dye from turning yellow after a while?"

It was like a shock to his system but Kagome was right. The damn girl was right. Her mother thought he _dyed_ his hair. There was no way. It had to be some sort of trick.

Kagome glared at him and it was only then that he realized he hadn't said a single word in reply. Oh god, her mom wouldn't think he was a demon but she would think he was rude _._ Somehow, that felt worse.

"Uh yeah," he answered, even though that wasn't an answer at all. What the fuck was blue shampoo? "All the time."

"You must pay a fortune to get your roots done." Mrs. Higurashi smiled at him, so startlingly familiar, and turned to her daughter. "Sota's out until dinner so I'll need your help later."

"Just call for me," Kagome said, pushing Sango forward in an effort to leave the front hall. Her dark eyes landed on him, head tilting to urge him on. "We'll just be in my room."

Inuyasha couldn't help but to follow, taking in the pictures hanging on the wall. Most of them were from a long time ago – a young Kagome and a small toddler that he could only assume was her little brother. The scent of the house was far too familiar but it wasn't until he stepped foot inside of her room that it became so much worse.

Or more. So much _more_.

"You doing okay?" Miroku asked, patting him on the shoulder. "I thought you were going to lose your mind when Mrs. Higurashi asked about your hair."

Inuyasha rolled his eyes, a grunt passing through his lips. He didn't really have a good answer for that; or at least, nothing dignified to say.

"Your mom is the best," Sango crowed, bouncing slightly as she sat down on Kagome's bed. "Is your grandfather around?"

"Probably watching TV."

"We should say hi."

Kagome sighed then. "You just want to see what he thinks of Inuyasha."

The girl didn't even look slightly ashamed. Inuyasha narrowed his eyes at her. "Really?"

"He's a funny guy," Sango answered, unrepentant. "I think you two would be friends."

"Doubtful." He didn't want to be a part of the conversation, not with the speculation all about him. It was bad enough he was there in the first place, that other people were _seeing him_. Even if his ears were covered, it still felt very…

Vulnerable.

He tuned out the sounds of his friends chatting, his golden eyes immediately catching on pictures tacked to the walls or precisely hung in frames. There were a lot of them, mostly surrounding the desk in the room. There were just so many photographs in the whole house, like they wanted to document every moment. Kagome, looking at least ten years younger, with her skinny arm wrapped around a young boy. Kagome with three friends, all of whom looked strangely familiar. Kagome with her grandfather, scowling at each other on the couch.

A baby being held by a man with short black hair, thick bangs and green eyes.

One by one he took in the photos, inching his way around the bedroom. There were a few books scattered on her desk, too, some fiction and some textbooks that clearly came from school. His friends were all laughing in the background, something about classes that he didn't understand. He narrowed his gaze to one last photo, poised on the wall just above her nightstand. It was an image of her, her younger brother, mom, and probably the grandfather. It was a selfie, and while most of them were smiling or laughing, the grandfather just looked confused, mouth half-open like he was saying something.

It hit him oddly then, the realization that Kagome had a lot to lose. The demonic world was closing in on her, her powers and the strange draw they all felt towards her. And while he felt no _draw_ , per se, Inuyasha was pulled towards her through scent and friendship.

Friendship.

Inuyasha figured that was a good enough word for it. He guessed that if he _had_ to admit anything, it would be that—

"Kagome! I'm home!"

Like a car crash, sudden and unrelenting, Inuyasha heard the heavy stomp of feet on the final few steps of the staircase, so close. How he hadn't noticed anyone coming up at all was insane. He was nose-blind from Kagome's scent but his hearing should have alerted him, should have forced his attention towards the oncoming threat.

And now there was nothing to do but wait the two seconds until a young boy skidded in front of Kagome's bedroom door, no older than twelve or thirteen. He looked so much like Kagome it was almost startling, the way his brown eyes took in everyone with a smile on his face. His dark hair was a mess on top of his head, thankfully short or it would be falling in front of his eyes.

Eyes that stopped the second they landed on Inuyasha. And just _stared_.

This was his nightmare.

"Whoa," the boy breathed out. "Who are _you_?"

"Sota! Don't be rude," Kagome snapped, looking horrified.

Sango snorted, finally stealing away the young kid's attention. "You're a gem," she told the boy.

"Hey Sango," Sota said, waving happily. "I didn't know you were coming over today."

"Last second decision," Kagome answered, face red. "Why are you home so early?"

"Practice got cancelled. I don't know why but I think Coach made some sort of big mistake. Hitomi's mom was _real_ mad."

Sighing, Kagome shook her head. "Figures. Sota, meet Miroku and Inuyasha. Guys, this is my little brother."

"Soon I'll be the big brother because I'm going to be taller than you," Sota shot back, looking pleased about it.

"That's not how it works."

"Says you." Sota's dark gaze returned to Inuyasha, like they were magnetized. "You're Inuyasha?"

The half-demon wanted to throw himself out of the window. "Yeah."

The kid narrowed his eyes for a moment before shaking his head, looking confused. "You look _way_ too cool to be hanging out with my sister."

"Hey!" Kagome yelled out.

Sango burst out laughing and Miroku actually spun around to face the wall for a second, but his shoulders were shaking with mirth. "A gem!" Sango called out.

"Get out of my room," Kagome yelled, crowding up against him. "Out! Mom! Sota's being a pain!"

Kagome let out an angry huff as Sota cackled and danced out of the room. He barely registered the sound though, the half-demon too wrapped up in his thoughts. He stared at the open doorway, straining his ears to _listen_. He could hear the little brother still laughing in the other room. It was hardly a struggle to listen in on the sound of the television playing loudly downstairs, a female voice being overruled by the noise.

So he could _hear_ fine.

Which meant his failure to recognize Sota coming up the stairs was all on him, not paying attention. But that– It had never happened before, ever. Not once. Not in his whole lifetime. And _that meant_ —

"You okay there?" Miroku's too casual question didn't startle him – no, he heard his friend lean forward on the bed, could feel his blue gaze boring a whole in the side of his face. But that was because he was paying attention now.

And not focused on Kagome's room and her pictures and her scent and—

"Yeah," Inuyasha mumbled, crossing his arms and spinning so that he could lean back on the desk. "I'm fine."

"You don't look fine."

"I'm so glad I asked for your opinion."

Miroku snorted and rolled his eyes. "Oh yeah, now I'm so reassured you're all good. I mean with a comment like that, how can I argue?"

The girls were deep into some other kind of conversation, both of them laughing at something while Sango gestured wildly with her arms. At least they were distracted from the half-demon's quasi-crisis. Inuyasha tried not to wince, though it was hard while he admitted the truth. "I was just startled by the kid."

At first, his best friend seemed confused. It took only a moment for him to get it, the realization sinking in while making his eyebrows raise. "You didn't know he was coming." A statement, not a question. Inuyasha wasn't sure he liked hearing of his failure out loud in any fashion. "What distracted you?"

He hadn't admitted it yet, had he? In the last few months, this was something Inuyasha had kept close to the chest. He didn't know what it meant but saying it out loud – saying that Kagome's scent drove him up-the-wall crazy and he wasn't sure if it was in a good way or not – felt all kinds of wrong. How could he ever explain it properly?

"Inuyasha?"

He was about to give some sort of half-assed answer when Kagome turned around suddenly to catch their attention. "Hey, did you guys want to watch movies downstairs?"

"And meet Kagome's grandpa?" Sango added, clearly more excited about that than the real entertainment.

There was an odd pause where Inuyasha didn't say anything and Miroku was clearly debating whether to voice his concerns. In the end, he cheerfully agreed and managed to distract the two girls, herding them out of the bedroom while Inuyasha trailed behind.

The look his blue-eyed friend shot him was a threat as much as it was a look of concern. Their conversation was _not_ over.

Fine. Inuyasha would think of something to say. In the meanwhile, he was going to do his best to remain as inconspicuous as possible. He'd avoid Kagome's family without being obvious about it, and he'd make sure not to do anything _weird_. No growling or teeth baring or claw showing. It would be fine. He was in a house of humans that had no idea about his true identity, and they would keep it that way. If Inuyasha had made it this far, the rest of the evening would be a snap.

Avoid the family. Don't be weird.

Simple.

* * *

It wasn't simple.

The old man was staring at him with eyes narrowed and a purse to his lips. It was like was trying to read into Inuyasha's soul, an experience the half-demon had certainly never had before. Even when the Houko family had kept him separated from everyone else, confused about his existence and if he was just like all other demons, they never regarded him this intently.

It was unnerving.

Kagome kept shooting her grandfather pointed looks, but the old man either didn't see them or didn't care. She tried to kick him out of the living room, but her grandfather had insisted that the movie they were watching was his favourite, despite not knowing what it was called.

"I'm so sorry," Kagome whispered, so quietly that even the half-demon had trouble picking it up.

He only shrugged. If a strange glare was the worst of his problems that evening, he would survive.

But then the little brother came in. Sota, he remembered the name was. And while the kid didn't stare at him as overtly as the grandfather, it wasn't any less obvious.

Actually, the number of times Sota looked at him and opened his mouth to say something had Inuyasha constantly on edge, gearing up for some strange question that was going to throw him off or make answering difficult. _Why are your eyes gold? Why do you dye your hair? Why haven't you taken your hat off?_

The whole thing was making him fidget. It made him want to do all the things he wasn't supposed to, like bare his teeth and scare them away.

"I'll bring these plates into the kitchen," Sango said, pushing off of Kagome to try and sit up. "It was really nice of your mom to cook dinner for us."

"This is probably the happiest day of her life," Kagome commented with a grin. "And don't worry, I can get–"

"No." Inuyasha stood up from his spot on the floor, hastily picking up all of the plates. There was no one in the kitchen. It was blessedly silent and free of every other human in the house. Just a five second break – that was all he needed. No kid brother staring at him and no elderly grandfather glaring.

He didn't run into the kitchen but it was a near thing.

"I should go help him," Sango said as he exited the room.

"I'm fine. Stay there." He held in the growl and clutched the plates tighter. They had already been at the house for _hours_ and while it wasn't terrible or anything, Inuyasha couldn't help but feel like he was one second away from ruining everything. One mistake could cost their whole group.

"Avoid the family, don't mess up," Inuyasha muttered to himself darkly. He put the plates down by the sink and hesitated only a moment before turning on the tap. He had done this hundreds of times at home, back when Asato and Maiho were alive. He'd help cook but they all took turns rinsing the dishes. It was only now – now that they were gone and it was just him, Miroku, Sango and Mushin – that he solely cooked and didn't clean. He didn't _miss it_ exactly but–

"Oh, aren't you kind!"

A plate nearly cracked in his grip, startled as he was. _Shit_. Mrs. Higurashi was coming in the doorway, as quiet as a cat. Inuyasha hadn't even noticed her. What the hell was going on in this house?

"You didn't have to rinse them off, dear," Mrs. Higurashi continued, completely ignorant to the half-demon's minor crisis. "I could have done that."

Inuyasha continued to hold the plate under the water, the dish clearly clean but his brain failing to decide what the best course of action was. She was talking to him. She was staring, waiting for a response. The half-demon cleared his throat and forced his gaze away, turning back to the sink. "Uh, it's not a big deal."

"Your parents clearly raised you right." Mrs. Higurashi beamed at him. "So, do you go to school with Kagome?"

"Um, no." He bit his lip and then quickly curled his lips back over, hiding his teeth. Oh god, he wasn't going to make it out of this. He should have just said they went to the same school. It would have been so much easier. "I'm Sango's–" Friend? Brother? Cousin? "Cousin."

Whatever.

"Oh, that's so nice that your families are close." Mrs. Higurashi grabbed one of the rinsed dishes from him and put it in the dishwasher. "I didn't have any siblings and neither did my husband. I sometimes wished for a big family, you know?"

Nodding, Inuyasha rinsed the next plate and handed it to her.

"It's great that you all get along."

"We, uh, practically grew up together," Inuyasha found himself saying, compelled by the genuine kindness of the woman beside him. Her eyes were so familiar and the laugh-lines that appeared when she smiled were almost too much for him to take. "She's more like a sister to me."

"It must have been hard these last few months. It's good that she has you. I'm glad that Kagome found her too. She seems happier, in a way. I think her other friends stress her out sometimes."

"Kagome's been great." Inuyasha didn't know what to say, not really. He'd been with Kagome through every emotion possible, at this point. Sadness and anger and happiness and fear. What more was there to really know?

"Well, I know she tries to be. But it's good she has friends like you."

With that said, the two of them fell into a companionable silence. Inuyasha finished rinsing off the last dish and handed it over. Mrs. Higurashi went to wipe the counter down, humming a little to herself. She was smiling and Inuyasha was struck with this weird sort of wonder if Kagome would look like her, in the future. If she would seem this at ease even though the world around her was a terrifying place to be.

Her mother made eye contact with him then, noticing his staring and Inuyasha was about to disappear from the room as fast as possible when the older woman spoke. "Are those contacts you're wearing? I've never seen eyes like yours."

"No," he replied, stuffing his hands in the pockets of his sweater. "My dad's were like this, or that's what my mom told me anyways."

"They're beautiful," Mrs. Higurashi stated, giving another smile.

"Thanks." Inuyasha gestured back towards the living room, trying to be as casual as possible. "It was nice talking to you. Thanks again for dinner."

"Have fun."

Inuyasha may or may not have used his extra dash of speed running from the kitchen and up the stairs, towards Kagome's room. Everyone was still downstairs watching television but that whole conversation had been…

He had forgotten what it was like, talking to a mom. The loss of Maiho burned in his chest, just as a deep old sense of sadness reminded him of his own mother who used to make him cookies and read him stories and dance with him in the hallways.

Inuyasha just needed a second. He had spent the majority of his life hiding away. Kagome's family was nice and all but they were a lot to process. A lot of energy and smiles and talking and life.

Instead of mingling and watching fun movies, Inuyasha sat down on the very edge of Kagome's bed and buried his head in his hands. How much longer did he have to do this? How much longer did he have to hold out?

The clock read after 6PM. Surely Mushin would contact them soon.

Taking a deep breath, the half-demon tried to slow his breathing. He listened to the sounds of the house, to the television playing downstairs and the echo of chattering throughout it. It was familiar, haunting.

"Get yourself together," Inuyasha muttered to himself, dragging hands down his face. He took another deep breath and let Kagome's scent lull him, let it soothe the warnings and red flags and alarms that had been going off non-stop since they entered the house. There were no demons around, and no danger. His family was safe downstairs and they would stay that way.

Tired, Inuyasha closed his eyes. He took another deep breath in.

Eventually, he curled onto his side, letting the scent blanket him. There was safety here. There was family here.

He fell asleep before he could stop himself.

* * *

"Inuyasha!" a voice hissed, loudly in his ear.

The half-demon jerked away, claws at the ready and golden eyes searching everywhere. He was in a room – not his room – but a familiar one. Kagome. It was Kagome's room and he had…

Miroku's raised eyebrows were so high, his blue eyes seemed like saucer plates. "Did you just fall asleep?"

"I was _tired_ ," Inuyasha snapped, growling a little. "Fuck off."

"You fell asleep in her bed, what the hell is up with you?" his best friend asked, reaching a hand out to touch his shoulder. "You've been weird all day."

"It's been a weird day, Miroku, in case you forgot the burnt body this morning or the lizard demon last night or us spending the day playing 'happy family' at Kagome's." Inuyasha shut his mouth so hard his teeth clacked. "Why are you even up here?"

"I was looking for you," Miroku replied earnestly. "You've been gone for a while and we were getting worried."

Inuyasha let out a whoosh of an exhale, trying to gather his thoughts. His head was cloudy from the fog of being barely awake, of a nap that ended far too soon. "I just needed a second alone, that's all."

"You didn't even hear me coming." Miroku frowned. "And you didn't hear Sota coming either. Are you okay? Like actually okay?"

It was now or never, basically. Either Inuyasha could make this just one more lie or he could tell his best friend, the only person in the world who's gotten him. "It's–" Inuyasha hesitated for only a moment more before sighing. "It's this house. The smell of it. Kagome's scent is…weird."

Clearly, that was the wrong word choice. "Weird?"

"Like, it's powerful. Really strong, especially for a human."

Miroku's frown didn't lessen. If anything, it got worse. "So she needs to shower more? I don't get it."

"It's not–" Inuyasha shook his head. "It's not a hygiene thing, that's different. This is like… It's like how you have really blue eyes. The girls at your school think they're really attractive, right? Well, it's kind of like that only instead of blue eyes she has a distinctive smell."

Miroku blinked. "You're not selling this to me at all."

"It's a demon thing," Inuyasha blurted out, irate and unsure how else he was going to explain it. "I can smell things you can't. I can smell emotions if they're really strong, or I can tell things about your mood if I know you well enough. Chemosignals, right? Kagome just has ones that are really powerful; they take over everything and they're really–" _Soothing. Calming._

Waving his hands, impatient for the rest of the sentence, Miroku made a face at him. "What? What are they?"

He opened his mouth to say something, though what it was he would never know. His cell phone started to vibrate in his pocket, a call coming through. Inuyasha grabbed his cell and slid to answer, barely taking in Mushin's name at the top of the screen. "Is everything okay?"

"Everything is fine," Mushin answered, as calm and collected as he was before. There was a layer of exhaustion in his tone though that wasn't there earlier. Inuyasha didn't want to think about what it meant he had to do to get what they needed done. "You can all come home now. I'm sorry, Inuyasha, but there will be a chemical scent for a bit at the front."

He forced down the lump in his throat, remembering the horrid smell of burnt flesh. "I'll be fine."

"I have a few more calls to make, to get this done, but I wanted you all to know that it was safe to come back. You have school tomorrow and you need to rest." Mushin huffed out a sigh. "If school is even an option for tomorrow."

"I'll talk to Sango and Miroku," Inuyasha promised, eyeing his friend. With the phone in front of him, screen up, he was sure Miroku could hear every word. "We'll head back now." Their call disconnected a few seconds later after their goodbyes.

"I guess we need to tell the girls," his friend said.

The sound of footsteps coming closer, still a level below were easy enough to pick out, now that he was paying attention. "I'm pretty sure they're coming up now."

Miroku gave him a pointed look. "You never did tell me what Kagome's scent was to you."

He didn't want to take in a deep breath, but it was like some sort of reflex. The half-demon inhaled a big lungful, and exhaled nice and slow. Measured. He had to force himself to listen to the footsteps coming up the stairs. "It's…nice," he answered, feeling wrong-footed and almost inadequate. Words couldn't describe, not really.

Whatever Miroku was going to say was drowned out by Sango and Kagome entering through the doorway. Sango had her arm wrapped around the other girl's shoulders, grinning about something. It died the moment she eyed the two of them, probably looking far too serious in the cheerfulness of Kagome's bedroom.

"What's going on?"

"Mushin called," Miroku explained. "We can go home now."

"Shit," she breathed. "How did he sound?"

"Tired," Inuyasha answered. "And his work isn't done yet, but it's safe to go home so we should head out."

It should have been an easy and quick getaway, though Inuyasha didn't know what to actually expect. His understanding of goodbyes were the nods and waves given between other demon slayers, not–

Well, not this.

"Really?" Sota said, sounding horribly disappointed. For some reason, his dark brown eyes didn't leave Inuyasha's face. "But we didn't get to talk or anything!"

"It's getting late and a school night," Mrs. Higurashi stated. She smiled far too kindly, a familiar warmth that Inuyasha didn't want to inspect.

"Thank you so much for having us over Mrs. H," Sango commented, reaching down to ruffle Sota's hair. "And you need to stop growing."

"Hey!"

Kagome gave Sango and Miroku a quick hug each. She said something to his friends that made them roll their eyes.

Inuyasha was trying not to feel weird. He didn't _do this_ , this odd sort of gathering for gestures. Not since Sango's parents died and even then, it hadn't been the same. He looked at Kagome's family, lifting his arm to wave at them when he was completely blindsided, frozen into stillness as Mrs. Higurashi opened her arms and gave him a brief hug.

Inuyasha swore his heart stopped beating, just for a moment. Despite everything, there was a tiny part of him that thought she would figure it out. She would _know_ the second she hugged him, how he wasn't human like the rest of them. That it wasn't hair dye and there was more to him not taking off the stupid baseball cap.

But nothing happened.

Mrs. Higurashi gave him another one of those warm, familiar smiles. "Drive safely, okay? Text Kagome when you get back to let us know you're okay."

It wasn't even a twenty minute drive.

"Okay," he said, horrified when his voice went weird, a kind of crack in it.

Kagome turned to him next and Inuyasha knew he couldn't do it, this— _whatever_. He forced a smirk to his face, gave some sort of wave that probably looked anything but casual, and then fled. He didn't look back, didn't take another hit of her scent. He grabbed the car keys and unlocked the door.

Eight steps. Six. Four. Two.

He opened the driver's door and jumped in, refusing to look up. Sango and Miroku were following behind him, if at a more sedated pace. Tuning out any conversation because he didn't want to know, Inuyasha turned on the engine and waited.

Miroku jumped into the passenger seat, sending him a strange look that he could feel burning through the side of his skull.

Sango, clearing her throat from the backseat, leaned forward as if to talk.

"Let's go," Inuyasha interrupted, switching into reverse. His best friends ended up not saying anything, at least not to him.

The half-demon hadn't felt more grateful in his entire life.

* * *

When he dreamed, he dreamed of dead flowers.

It was strange, opening his eyes and staring up at blue skies. In the corner of his vision, the deep green of forest leaves swayed with the wind. He turned his head to the side, golden eyes searching even though the place screamed nothing but familiarity. His gaze swept across the garden, noticing all of the flowers wilted and brown. They didn't hold his attention though, not when he caught the sight of bright pink. He tilted his head back, neck straining as he took in the profile of his mother.

"Mom." The words felt foreign on his lips. He didn't know why.

She was staring at the flowers, only her side visible. His mother sat in the grass, facing the dead garden. He couldn't see the full extent of her expression but her lips were curved down in a frown. "Your father had no patience for gardening."

Inuyasha hummed and closed his eyes again. "You never told me that."

It was his mother's turn to hum, the sound lyrical like the beginning of a song. "No?"

"No." Inuyasha blinked up to stare at the clouds. He couldn't decide if he wanted to nap or keep her talking, to learn more about the father he barely knew. "Do I look like him?" he asked, surprising himself with the question.

His mom laughed at that and it hurt, deep in his gut. Like she was stabbing him even though he always wanted to hear the sound, to hear her be happy. "So much," she confirmed, nodding. "But there's a lot of me in you, too. Our eyes."

Inuyasha frowned. "But mine are gold." He twisted once more to see her, the grass tickling his face.

She smiled. "Yes, but they're human eyes, Inuyasha."

And then, she turned to face him completely and the breath was stolen from his lungs. The side of her face he hadn't seen before was burnt, charred, flesh ripping off like strips of meat and sinew. Her hair was mostly gone but for a few patches and she was—

She was—

Inuyasha jerked up, but instead of his claws digging into grass, he felt the give of his mattress. He panted, heart hammering. He was terrified and scared.

Alone, in his bedroom. A dream, then.

"Shit," he whispered, more of a growl than anything else. He shoved the comforter aside and threw his legs over the edge, trying to gain any semblance of comfort in the ground. Not grass. Hardwood, cool from the temperature.

A part of him wanted to run, to throw on a sweater and a pair of sweatpants and disappear into the forest. It would feel good, or at least better than the here and now of oppressive silence and stillness. But he knew it would be stupid to leave Miroku and Sango alone in the house after someone had clearly threatened them. Had threatened _him_ , but if Inuyasha had learned anything it was that demons would use any weakness against you. The lizard demon turning into his mother had proven that. And Miroku and Sango? They were his largest weaknesses by far.

Growling, Inuyasha took a deep breath and tried to relax. He wouldn't fall back asleep, but he could focus on the three other heartbeats in the house.

That, he decided, would have to be enough.

* * *

Somehow, Inuyasha had managed to convince Kagome he was fine during their Monday morning run. He had been exhausted, a tiredness that hid further than bone deep. But he pushed it aside and met her by the treeline. He almost longed for the mornings. It was strange, how easy and simple it all was. Other than the rare time, their runs consisted of nothing more than measured breathing and the odd grunt. Kagome wanted to clear her mind and Inuyasha needed to get out of the house, away for just a moment. He was protecting Kagome, even if only for a little while. It was enough of an excuse he didn't hate abandoning his family. In fact, after a couple days it was nearly a welcome relief.

He was pretty sure Kagome knew, or at least had some sort of idea. The thought rankled him, but didn't eat him up inside like he expected. Kagome had always been perceptive; weirdly so, like she knew him as much as Sango and Miroku ever had, just in a different way. It was—Complicated. Inuyasha didn't like to think about that much. Or ever.

Thursday morning was oddly warm, considering it was nearly December. They didn't live in a climate that got snow, but it was never like this, never bearable in a sweater first thing in the morning. Inuyasha shoved his hands in his pockets as he waited, breathing in the smells of the forest. There was a lot more rot, more of the lingering decay that came with the winter but wasn't frozen or sealed.

He heard the front door open and knew Kagome would only be a minute more, gradually breaking into a light jog by the time she reached him. He bounced lightly on his feet, thinking of nothing at all. When she finally came close, she gave him a smile that seemed strangely pleased and he nodded in return. He matched her pace, following the trail. Listening to the way Kagome staggered her breathing, the way she counted each inhale and exhale and all the seconds in between, the half-demon decided to move a little faster. She was getting too good at the pace they were setting. She'd never outrun a demon with incredible speed, but a slow one? One built more for muscle and destruction and not much else?

This wasn't training but sometimes Inuyasha couldn't help but be happy with the added benefit.

It was swift and deadly, how fast everything changed – his attention, his mood, his calmness. The moment a foreign scent hit his nose it was like a punch to the gut. He was taken back suddenly to that hazy Sunday, when the smell of death and char permeated the only safe place he had ever known so horribly quick it made his gut churn. But this scent was different.

And then, like tiny puzzle pieces slotting into place bit-by-bit, Inuyasha heard the heavy stomping of a demon. A demon running towards them quickly.

His first instinct had him grabbing Kagome by the shoulders and shoving her behind him. With his ears pricked forward, he heard the approaching demon's hefty steps slow. In the distance he saw a flash of colour so with a growl he took off, ignoring Kagome's shout. Yet another demon had come after her, so close to her home. Was it the very same demon that had left the woman's body at their front door?

He leapt into the air, claws outstretched as his gaze finally landed on the creature before him. It was orange and large, muscles bulking across the plains of his scarred chest and arms. Massive, wide blue eyes, getting rounder at the sight of him, squeezing shut as if in—

"No!" A woman screamed, terrified. An older woman who was sitting on the hulking demon's shoulder, her thin arms wrapped around him.

Inuyasha pulled back his hand but he couldn't stop his trajectory. He arched as best he could but still crashed into the demon, skipping off of it like a stone and bashing hard into a nearby tree. Pain throbbed through his head, forcing the half-demon to wince. What the hell was going on?

He pushed himself up, shaking off the pain. He could hear the unfamiliar voice of that woman – the one who was sitting on the demon's shoulder before – yelling at him. She was clearly upset and Inuyasha could tell, clearly human. When he looked at her, now on the ground and clutching the demon's hand, both of her arms were barely enough to wrap around the thing's forearm.

"Don't hurt him!" the older woman yelled, gripping tighter. Inuyasha did nothing but stare in disbelief as the demon – massive, muscular and broad – seemed to shake, trembling like a rabbit in front of prey.

Like Inuyasha was the monster here.

The shock was enough that he didn't notice Kagome running towards them until the last second. He growled in warning, mouth opening to shout at her to stay back when he saw the large orange demon shudder violently. The human woman held him tighter.

"Inuyasha!" Kagome exclaimed, brown eyes wide.

The half-demon held out a hand to warn her to get back without vocalizing it. He should have known the black-haired girl would only ignore him. "You should have stayed back."

She didn't answer but it wasn't hard to know why. The human woman who was with that other demon took a hesitant step forward, eyes glassy but mouth in a firm, tight line. "We don't mean you any harm. We need your help. Please don't hurt him."

Inuyasha forced his eyes away from her to look back at the demon. _Please don't hurt him_ , as if she knew the thoughts racing through Inuyasha's mind. "I won't do anything as long as he doesn't."

The demon visibly swallowed, hands clenching and unclenching. Not like he was waiting for a fight, but like he was nervous. Inuyasha had no idea what the hell was going on.

"Jinenji wouldn't hurt a butterfly," the older woman declared, sounding almost angry. "My son would never cause another living thing pain."

Kagome gasped, the tiniest of noises. It was so small, but to Inuyasha it was practically a shout. _My son._

 _My son._

But she was human.

"He's a half-demon?" Kagome asked, vocalizing the one thing he couldn't, wouldn't– What– No–

The woman nodded and looked back at the large demon – large _half-demon_ – with an almost exasperated fondness. "Jinenji," she said. "You can speak for yourself."

The blue-eyed half-demon seemed to shrink all the more, but he stepped forward and looked up, gaze quickly skirting Inuyasha's to focus on Kagome. Inuyasha didn't know if that pleased him or pissed him off. He was just completely—

Unsure.

Another half-demon? There was someone else, just like him? His mother was human, Inuyasha could smell it on her. _Human_. And that had to mean—

"Hello," Jinenji greeted, voice impossibly deep. It wasn't a booming sound though; more reserved, quiet and uncertain.

"You're his birth mother," Inuyasha stated, the first thing that made any kind of sense. His nose could smell it, so that had to be true.

"Yes," the woman replied, chin lifting almost defiantly. "My name is Natsuko."

"I'm Kagome," the black-haired girl beside him answered, sparing him a sharp glance. "And this is Inuyasha. Are either of you hurt?"

Hurt? Inuyasha frowned at her but Natsuko shook her head as Jinenji replied, "No. I'm…okay."

Kagome smiled then at the other half-demon and Inuyasha watched him with a sick sort of fascination as Jinenji seemed to calm at that, taken by her. And that was—

"Why the hell are you here?" he growled out.

"Inuyasha!" Kagome snapped, giving him no time to dodge as she hit him in the shoulder. "Can't you see they need our help?"

"They need–?"

"Why else would they come so close to you?" she murmured under her breath, eyes widening meaningfully. "Don't you see how scared he is? Why else would they make themselves known?"

Any number of reasons, Inuyasha wanted to snap. It could all be a ploy. An illusion – just like the lizard demon – to lull them into a false sense of security. But when he took a deep breath, he could smell the terror surrounding them, even with Kagome so close.

"She's right," Natsuko said, clasping her hands together. The woman had to be in her late-forties, but the lines around her face were older, telling a story of constant worry. "Our house was attacked and destroyed. We have nowhere to go. Jinenji's in danger, just like you."

Inuyasha stared at the other half-demon, but Jinenji refused to look at him. "Why?" he asked, though he knew the answer. It was one Inuyasha knew intimately well.

The woman scoffed, clearly irritated. The orange half-demon shrugged his huge shoulders, the movement the picture of indifference. Or maybe not. Maybe just acceptance. "Other demons," he responded quietly. "They think because of my size I would make for a great battle."

"But he's gentle," his mother cut in, placing a hand on his arm. "He's never hurt anyone and never would. But with our house gone we have nowhere to hide. Humans can't see us and demons might–" She cut off her words, expression grim as Kagome stepped towards them, her hands out placatingly.

"It's okay," she said soothingly. "We'll help you. We'll find a way."

The woman sagged at that, the tiniest bit like any more would be a sort of defeat. She patted her son's arm and smiled weakly. "Thank you."

Kagome nodded and then spun around, finger pointed directly at him. "First, you need to take me back. I'll get ready for school and then pretend to go. Can you wait to pick me back up?"

Could he wait to pick her up? Inuyasha didn't know what the hell was going on. The whole situation was this big and terrible shock. Another half-demon? He didn't believe it, not yet at least. Not until the cotton stuffing his brain disappeared, the white noise faded into silence. But Kagome seemed to have some sort of plan and that made it easier, somehow. It gave him action and that wasn't hard to figure out. "Yeah," he replied, crossing his arms.

Kagome turned back to Jinenji and Natsuko, smiling. "I'm so sorry, but I have to go. My family doesn't know about demons. Are you okay to…?" She pressed her lips together and looked back at Inuyasha. "Should we have them go to the house?"

Towards Miroku and Sango, who were going to be as shocked as him? Inuyasha couldn't imagine their reactions, if only because he didn't understand his own. "We should talk to them first."

Kagome nodded. She looked almost apologetic to Natsuko before saying, "Do you mind waiting here? I'll give you my number if you have a cell phone. We just need to talk to our friends, to make sure we can find somewhere for you to stay."

Natsuko and Jinenji didn't even seem fazed. The older woman did have a phone, though it was dead. Kagome assured them that they would find them within two hours – her and Inuyasha, specifically. He wanted to argue that, or just…say something. Something other than accusations and demands to know of the orange demon's origins. Or half-demon. Whatever.

He wasn't the only one.

Inuyasha glared at the ground.

"We'll be back soon," Kagome said, or repeated. Inuyasha wasn't really sure but he let her climb on his back before racing off, leaving Jinenji and the human woman and the forest behind. Inuyasha didn't stop at the treeline, going and going until he was skidding at the side door. And then he simply…stood there.

"Inuyasha?" Kagome asked uncertainly. She had let go of his neck, but he'd been holding her legs so tightly she couldn't slide off. Inuyasha, horrified with himself, let go immediately and took two solid steps away. He took a deep breath, smelling only her and wondering why the hell he couldn't seem to get a damn grip.

"Hey, go to my room, okay?" Kagome asked, though it was a lot more like a request. "I need to talk to Mom for a bit but I'll be up soon." Inuyasha opened his mouth to argue but was cut off by Kagome continuing. "I have questions and you're the only one I can ask."

Somehow, he doubted it. In the back of his mind he was sure it was a ploy to keep him around, to ensure he didn't run off and freak out. But he couldn't prove it and anyways, he didn't want to leave.

With a small nod in her direction, he watched as Kagome took off up the steps to the side porch, ducking through the door with an apologetic smile already on her face. He heard as her mother came over, the pitch of her voice clearly worried while Kagome tried to soothe. Inuyasha wondered what excuse would hold up as he turned away, making the jump to the roof and heading towards Kagome's bedroom window. He paused at the glass, hands poised to enter without actually touching. Did he really want to go in there?

Because the last time he'd been in her room…

Well.

Maybe he would just wait.

It was a few minutes more before Kagome showed up, poking her head in and looking around. It wasn't until he lifted a hand that the movement caught her eye, causing her to jump. She rolled her eyes at him before shutting her bedroom door and heading to the window. Helping her to open it, Inuyasha barely had a moment to look at her properly before she was sighing. "Why are you outside?"

The half-demon shrugged, not keen on ever giving the real explanation.

"Just come in," Kagome grumbled. She started to grab some clothes from her closet and dresser, bundling the items up. "I'll have a quick shower and then we can talk game plan."

"Won't your mom find out if you skip school?"

Kagome wrinkled her nose. "Not if she calls to let them know I'm sick."

"You shouldn't skip school."

"Hey, no." Her brown eyes bore into him, concerned. "We're a team and this is big for you. I wouldn't just leave you to deal with this on your own."

Maybe it was the tone, the way she swayed towards him like she couldn't help herself. It was the amount she clearly cared that set off alarms in his mind, that took him back a few weeks to that stupid old woman and her stupid vision. _I watched her soul get pulled from her body._

Kaede didn't know what she was talking about, she couldn't have. There was no way. But in that moment, hearing the emphatic way Kagome talked about helping him, well…

 _She gives her soul to you, Inuyasha._

Maybe—

 _She dies for you._

Maybe it wasn't so stupid after all.

"We can manage without you," Inuyasha stated, voice flat. How would he be able to keep this from her? How could he protect her from this? "You don't have to."

Kagome frowned. She knew him too well. Damn her and her perception. "Why are you so against me helping all of a sudden?"

"I'm not–"

"Don't _lie_ to me." Kagome sighed, sounding more tired than that morning after the lizard demon. "I'm going to shower and you're going to figure out whatever it is that's bothering you. Jinenji and Natsuko trust me, so I'm coming. That's not up for debate. And seriously, this is another _half-demon_. Like you! Why aren't you more excited about this?"

Excited? The question left him flabbergasted, unsure of how to answer that. The black-haired girl spun on her heel and disappeared out of the room though, closing her bedroom door with the slightest slam. Inuyasha rolled his eyes, trying hard not to breathe in too deeply. How in the hell would finding another half-demon make him feel _better_? It didn't change anything, not in the slightest.

He looked over at her bed and it was pathetic how much he wanted to lie down on it and just close his eyes. Relax.

 _No_. Averting his gaze, Inuyasha glared down at the floor in her room. Leaning against her desk was fine. He spent what felt like an eternity keeping his mind as clear as possible, refusing to remember the old lady's words. _She dies for you. She dies for you._

Kagome's footsteps were quick as they rushed back into the room. She was dressed, hair dry and bundled in a messy sort of bun. Strands were falling all across her face as she tossed her old running clothes into a hamper and picked up her backpack. "So, are you good to talk this out yet?"

Inuyasha forced himself to remain blank, to not let the fear show. "Talk what out?"

"Your problem with the situation."

"I don't have one."

Kagome rolled her eyes, so hard that her head actually moved back. "What is _with_ you this morning? I know you're usually all grunts and glares and scowls, but this is crazy."

"I don't have a problem," he repeated, gritting his teeth.

The black-haired girl levelled him with a gaze that was like spitting fire. It wasn't angry, but coiled and strained, like she was assessing every inch of him. "Right." She came towards him, steps firm. Inuyasha could feel each of his muscles tense the closer she came and it became clear far too late that she was going to step right into his space, to demand something from him, to smell so–

Leaning around him, she grabbed two textbooks from the desk and turned back around to shove them in her backpack. Inuyasha just stared.

"Are you–" He cut himself off, unsure of where the question was even going. _Are you mad at me_? What kind of question was that. She didn't smell angry, though to be honest he never really scented that from her. It would be hard to tell, still. He frowned, unable to stop himself.

"Am I what?" Kagome asked, sparing him a quick glance before zipping up her bag. Her voice was carefully neutral, making it so much worse for him.

The half-demon bit back a sigh and shook his head. "Nothing, whatever. When should I come get you?"

"Like twenty minutes? I'll tell Mom I'm meeting up with the girls early," she answered.

Inuyasha nodded. He didn't move, or turn away his gaze. Kagome was looking at him like she was trying to understand something and while he didn't like it, the feeling was all too familiar.

"Why…" Kagome stopped and sighed a little. "Why don't you want to let Miroku and Sango know?"

There was a sinking feeling in his gut, a heaviness that actually made bile try to claw its way up his throat. Like striking the nail on its head and sending reverberations across every surface. It was a question he hadn't wanted to hear and a thought he hadn't wanted to think on. But now that it was out there, Inuyasha could tell exactly what it was. Maybe this was what made him want to stay for just a little bit longer. Maybe this was the unnamed thing crawling inside of him that sent up the warning flags.

"Inuyasha?" The question was soft, patient.

He didn't understand how she read him so well. "I don't know how they'll react," he said finally, the words coming out like molasses. "I don't even know what I think."

"That there's another half-demon like you." She didn't voice it like a question because it wasn't one. She knew. Somehow, the girl with the dark brown eyes boring into him just _knew_.

He took in a deep breath and hated how he relaxed into it, how her room was like this kind of kryptonite. "His existence doesn't change anything," Inuyasha explained, though he wasn't sure if it answered anything at all.

"Maybe not," Kagome conceded, nodding. "But at least now you know." She shouldered her bag and picked up her cell phone from the nearby nightstand. "Pick me up from the corner in twenty?"

The half-demon nodded again, but this time he turned away to escape out the window. He shut it behind him but didn't go far, choosing instead to climb higher, until he met the peak of the roof and could lie down, the cold brisk air chilling him. He would wait, he would get Kagome, and then together they would tell Miroku and Sango.

He didn't think of what would happen after. It was like his brain refused to hypothesize.

Closing his eyes, Inuyasha focused on the noise of his surroundings. If he listened hard enough, it almost sounded like the wind was carrying a messaging to him, a lyrical kind of laughter that was bright and feminine, familiar and painful.

* * *

The half-demon Jinenji no doubt knew exactly where Inuyasha was as he ran through the forest, though it couldn't be helped. It was the fastest way to get back to his home, where Miroku and Sango were probably confused. He didn't have his cell phone – he usually didn't, during these morning runs when his two best friends were likely asleep – but now he regretted it. They were probably worried or pissed off or both.

By the stomping that was coming down from the hall as Inuyasha opened the door from the garage, he knew it was definitely both.

"Where the hell _were_ you?" Sango's irritated voice rang out, echoing across the tile. "Miroku and I were freaking out–" The moment she caught sight of Kagome, peeking from around his shoulder, Sango closed her mouth so hard the click of it could be heard.

"Let's go to the living room." Inuyasha moved forward, even when it looked like his friend was going to argue. Sango's magenta eyes were narrowed, but she kept shifting her gaze from him, to Kagome, and back again.

She asked instead, "What's going on?"

"Nothing bad," Kagome answered, touching her arm. "Come on. It's better if Inuyasha explains."

He had no idea why she said that, mainly because the half-demon had no idea what exactly he was going to say. Or really, how he was going to say it. He trudged past them all anyways, glaring at the beige walls as if they could give an answer. They didn't. It unreasonably frustrated him.

Just tell them outright, then. Quick. Painless. Inuyasha spun around, arms crossed and face as blank as possible. "We found another half-demon."

The room was silent. Inuyasha couldn't even hear the old man in the kitchen, drinking his usual tea. Absently, he wondered where Mushin was, but it became a whisper of a thought soon enough.

"Another half-demon?" Sango asked, bewildered. "What happened? Where?"

"Less than a kilometre from my house," Kagome answered quietly.

"How did you even–" Miroku shook his head. "Are you okay?"

The question threw him off. Inuyasha expected concern, only… He didn't. For some reason, this time he didn't. "Yeah, we're fine."

Sango let out a long breath, a whistle between her teeth. "How strong was it? Was it like you?"

"I don't–" Inuyasha paused, registered the words they were using and how. "We didn't fight. He's alive and waiting in the forest for us."

And there. _There_. The reaction he was waiting for, the shock that had the both of them tensing up. He saw it in Sango's magenta eyes first, and then Miroku's blue ones. A lack of understanding, something nonsensical and primal to virtually every demon slayer he'd ever come across.

"What do you mean?" Sango demanded, taking a step closer. Stalking, more like. "You just let it go?"

"There was nothing to let go," Inuyasha replied, feeling his hands clench into fists by his armpits. "He isn't dangerous. He's scared of fucking butterflies; the thing isn't going to hurt anyone."

"But you don't know that," Miroku cut in. His blue gaze swept between him and Sango. "Inuyasha, demons are evil. You know this."

"Well, this one sucks at it."

"That's not an excuse to leave it alone!" Sango exclaimed, shaking her head. "Damn it, Inuyasha. We need to find it. How far could it have gotten?"

He felt the heat of anger edge up his spine, like tiny claw marks digging into his bones. He held back a growl but glared. "I know what this sounds like but–"

"Just because it's a half-demon, doesn't mean it isn't bad and it isn't going to hurt anyone. It's still partly demon." Sango rubbed at her face, quick and abrupt and harsh. "We've never met a good demon, Inuyasha. Ever. Not once. And isn't it a little suspicious that this thing just shows up after that body was found on our doorstep?"

He'd had the same thought but he wouldn't let her know that. "It wasn't him. I can tell," he managed to say without growling. "Sango, sit the hell down."

"How can you tell?" she asked instead of listening, voice raised and frustrated. "The demon is probably lying and trying to trick you. There's no way it's another half-demon. There aren't _half-demons_. We've never come across one, just like we've never come across a _good one_. How do you _know_ , Inuyasha?"

"Because we saw his mother."

And just like that, the tension in the room burst, a bubble stretched far too thin. Inuyasha looked at Kagome, at the black-haired girl that was flushed red in the cheeks with anger. It was like a tidal wave crashing, the emotional scent leaking into the room and clinging to every surface at once. It was like she just snapped, but no one in the room would notice.

Except him.

"He _is_ a half-demon," Kagome reiterated, sharp. "And his name is _Jinenji_. He's scared. He's _terrified_. If you saw his face, you would know. And he isn't a 'thing.'"

Sango's slightly parted mouth shut at that. Miroku had a hand on her shoulder, as if its presence would stop the worst from happening.

Kagome exhaled roughly and then pointed at them, landing lastly on Inuyasha and looking horribly disappointed. "Stop calling him a thing. He's a half-demon. His mother was there and she was human, and real. Inuyasha smelled it."

"Did you?" Miroku inquired.

He nodded, unable to take his eyes off of the girl in front of him.

"Okay, fine. He's a half-demon," Sango relented, voice almost placating. "That first we've ever come across. But that doesn't change anything. Demons are inherently evil, Kagome. They always have been, since the beginning of record. The slaying community has been around for centuries. Don't you think someone would have noticed a good demon? Don't you think something like that would've been noteworthy? You've seen it first-hand what demons can do. They've killed so many, just in our little region. How many people have died in the last month?"

"But–"

"It doesn't make sense." And now, Sango sounded desperate and sad, hands burying themselves in her hair. "If there are good demons, why have we never seen them?"

"They're in hiding, I don't know," Kagome responded, equally as lost. "But they have to exist. We can't just write them all off. Inuyasha is proof, isn't he? He was born."

Sango sighed and Inuyasha knew it was coming. Could feel it. Like the wind carrying the scent of a storm. A deadly sort of rage flashed, white hot and burning in his veins, but he kept his mouth shut. He didn't look away from Kagome, from the girl who seemed so angry for something that had nothing to do with her. He listened and he waited and he _knew_.

Miroku was the one to eventually speak. "That– We don't know what that proves."

He knew it was coming and it still hurt.

"He was raised with us, just like us." Miroku looked at Inuyasha then, and he must have been hiding his expression far better than he thought because his best friend continued, unaware. "He grew up with us. Other than his demon strengths, he's practically human."

Like a stab wound, festering.

"That doesn't count for–"

"Shut up," Inuyasha snapped, furious and unable to stop it, not even for the look Kagome shot him. "Stop talking like I'm not even here. I knew this would happen. I knew the moment I said those fucking words you'd flip out. News flash: _I'm not human_."

"Inuyasha, no–"

"Shut _up_ , Miroku! Stop talking. The both of you. _All_ of you. I'm not human, okay? Just because we grew up together doesn't mean that my claws grew dull or my fangs disappeared. I've killed monsters by ripping out their throats. I can break you in _half_." He took a deep breath, panting, fierce. "My strength is what keeps you all safe. Doesn't that count for something?"

"Of course it does!" Sango exclaimed. "But you weren't raised by your dad! It was your human mother and it was us. So what would have happened if you were raised by a demon? What would change? Would you still be the same person I know?" She hauled in a breath, desperate and freaked out. "And what if you were a full-blooded demon and the circumstances were similar? Would you still be the same? Because–"

"I am far from this humanized thing you see me as," Inuyasha snarled. "I've _turned_ , Sango. I've become a shade of one. I lost control and turned full-demon. And someone almost died." He bit out the last words, forced them from his teeth. There. He had said it. The biggest secret of all had come out.

"What?" Sango asked, voice cracking.

Maybe it was the way she looked at him, or her tone, but all of a sudden the fight whooshed out of him. He was still furious, hands aching and probably bleeding from how hard he was clenching them. But as he spoke, a strange sort of numbness hollowed his words. "I almost died. It was like a switch: something burning inside of me just came out. It was right after our– right after your parents died. I was almost gutted but I ended up killing the demon anyways." He couldn't look at Kagome now, and it seemed impossible that before he hadn't been able to take his eyes off of her. All he wanted to do was run, fast and far. Inuyasha needed to be anywhere but here.

"I could have killed the human I saved. I almost did, a few times."

He spun around, eyes seeking the hallway that would lead to his escape.

"But she ended up saving me."

And then he ran.

* * *

 **TBC**

* * *

 **Responses to Anon Reviews:**

Anon: Aw, thank you so much. I'm so terribly sorry for how long this took, but I appreciate you sticking by :')

Safat: Hahaha I had to say this comment made me LOL. I haven't updated for a hot minute. That's like the story of my life :D You're so sweet. Thank you so much for your patience with me. I truly appreciate it. You have no idea.

Stella: Done! Well, not "soon" because this took like 6+ months but. You know. I updated :)

Jenn: Aw, thank you so much love. So glad that you're enjoyed everything so far. Hope this chapter was up to snuff.

Anonnnn: There may have been one or two less "n"s in your name but I'm pretty blind and it's almost midnight as I write this so there's little hope for me. I can't believe you read this despite the 10 page paper, and I say this with all the love in my body because I've totally been there and done that like a billion times. Thank you, thank you for all the super nice things you said to me. Honestly, it was so kind of you. Truly made my day. You're a sweetheart and I hope you got a good grade on your paper!

NS: Thank you so, so, so much for checking in on me! I'm so sorry I couldn't say before, but I am okay. The new job is killing the soul, but also feeding it so it's all quite complicated. A lot less writing time though, which sucks. It's July though, which means Camp NaNoWriMo is on, and I've set a goal of 20,000 words. Hopefully I make it! And nearly all of those words will be dedicated to this bad boy. Look out world! Witchy may actually update a chapter within a reasonable timeframe. Thanks again darling. You're the best *heart eyes*

Guest: Well, I'm honestly sorry that you binged right before I disappeared for-freaking-ever. Bless your soul. Thank you so much for leaving your thoughts, I so appreciate it. I hope you enjoyed this chapter! I promise more to come soon (and by soon I mean better than this last horror spree of 6 months, dear god).

Bumble Bee: HA! Well, the smut is coming, I swear. Soon… Eh. Maybe not soon. It's hard. This relationship is very tricky. You have to love yourself before you can love another, you know? (Don't listen to me, I know literally nothing I'm just trying to hide the fact that I have NO PLANS). But basically, there's a decent chance for smut. As always, I'll make sure it's noted and warned for in case anyone doesn't want to read :)

Mal: You're a champ. I have absolutely zero self-control. I'll have a super important work meeting so I'll only give myself 30 minutes to read so I'm not late. Long story short, I'm always late. Thanks so much darling! Things have been a lot better at work, though I work stupidly long hours which added to the delay. But things are going and I really shouldn't complain. Thanks for always being so awesome!

Guest: Hahahaha tell me. Was this 6 months wait worth it? *Runs and hides because probably not* Anyways, thank you so much :) I hope you enjoyed this chapter nonetheless!

Guest: 1) THANK YOU. 2) I know, I'm the worst. 3) IT TOOK SIX MONTHS, but whoooOoOoOOOoooO is counting?

Lola1991: I know. Even I'm a little shocked that I thought of something like that? But thank you so much, dear. You're a treat. I appreciate it!

Aasdhgsahk: I'll have you know, I tried really hard to get your anon name right :) Thank YOU darling one. I'm so happy you liked it. Your comments made me so happy!

Nami: I…kind of thrive off of leaving chapters hanging like that? Mainly because it also forces my sorry butt to keep writing. Like what kind of massive a-hole just leaves a story like that? (Apparently me, but it was like 6 months and I returned sooooo it's all good). But yeah. I'm the worst :) Thanks hun!

* * *

 **Again, thank you to everyone for all of your support. You mean the world to me.**


	13. Chapter 13

**Author's Note:** I...am never writing a chapter this long again. Holy mother.

* * *

 **That Flesh of Mine**

 **Chapter Thirteen**

 _And I feel like I'm a body with no parts. A suit of armour with no heart. Sleepwalking through all my days, could you wake me up? Could you wake me up?_

 _(Soldier of Love, Poesy)_

* * *

She watched him go with an arm outreached. She hadn't known, hadn't realized. That evening in the forest when Inuyasha saved her, covered in blood and nearly dead… She had known he was dangerous, but to actually have thought of killing her?

He hadn't, though.

It was clear by the stunned silence in the room, the way both Miroku and Sango simply stared at the half-demon as he disappeared down the hall: they hadn't known either. Not even the sound of the garage door slamming stirred them into action, they were simply staring into the distance.

 _You're both stupid_. It was a terrible, true thought, one that crept through her mind and burrowed itself deep. How could they say those things? Even if… Even if they hadn't met a good demon, it just felt wrong.

But then again, there had been so much death. In the few short months since Kagome had learned the truth, a near countless amount of people had died, so many of them lost and unknown. And despite Inuyasha's existence being a sort of proof, he had said it himself: he had wanted to kill her.

He had almost killed her.

Apparently.

"How long?" Sango whispered, sounding devastated. Kagome had no idea what she was saying but Miroku seemed to know, his blue eyes haunted.

"An hour, at least. Give him space."

"But that th–" Sango stopped herself, shook her head viciously. "The other half-demon is somewhere in the forest. We still need to…figure it out. Talk to him and his mother. See what's going on."

"Give me an ATV," Kagome said abruptly. "I know where they are and I can get them. I just need you to call in sick for me at school. There's no point in going."

An arm touched hers, feather light. "Let's wait a little bit," Miroku said calmly, "see if Inuyasha comes back. If he doesn't, we'll all go together."

"Why, so you can say those awful things you said to Jinenji's face?" The moment the words were out, Kagome clamped her lips shut, horrified. She didn't want to fight, not with her friends. Everything was just so wrong: the way Inuyasha seemed to be pushing her away earlier, the things that Miroku and Sango said so carelessly.

The way that Inuyasha had apparently wanted to kill her, the night they first met. She wasn't angry at that so much as she was saddened. Despite what the silver-haired half-demon said to her, time and again, she knew him. An admission like that cost him. Just how awful had he felt, carrying that secret alone with him for so long? Miroku and Sango hadn't even _known_.

"I don't— I don't know what to say." Sango tore her gaze away from down the hall to finally meet Kagome's eyes. Her magenta orbs were glassy, her face pale. "I should have listened to him but you have to believe me. I wasn't lying when I said we've never met a demon that didn't want to hurt anyone. All of them. _All of them_. The only way we know there's a demon around is because someone in our town or a nearby one dies suspiciously. Inuyasha's the only one that can sense them and—" She took a deep breath, wiping at her eyes though no tears fell. "I don't know."

Kagome desperately wanted to bring up Inuyasha again, to use him as some sort of vindictive proof that demons could be good. There were children of both races. While not all of them were surely on good terms… Some of them had to be. _Had to be_.

The emotions she felt were clearly bleeding onto her face. Miroku and Sango's desperate looks did nothing to remove the feeling of injustice that had settled around her since that morning, when Inuyasha tried to push her aside.

"It would be nice if we were proven wrong," Miroku stated then, quiet.

"I swear I'm not lying."

"We believe you, we do." Sango rubbed at her face again, the tip of her nose red. "I just– I fucked up. Miroku, how the hell are we going to get him back?"

"He'll come back and we'll talk to him." Miroku gestured towards the kitchen. "We'll need to call in sick, too. I'll ask Mushin."

Kagome watched as the other two made arrangements. Sango called in from her cell phone and pretended to be her mother, excusing Kagome's presence for the day. Miroku tossed granola bars at them all, sitting down and staring out the kitchen windows. He was searching for Inuyasha, she knew. She wondered just how long the half-demon would be away. She had promised Jinenji and Natsuko they'd be back in two hours. They had about half of that left, and the clock was ticking.

"It was you, wasn't it? The person he saved."

Kagome hesitated for only a moment before answering. "Yeah." Nightmares she couldn't forget, the dreams of red eyes and a woman's voice hissing _I must have it._

"What was it like?"

The question startled her. Kagome watched Miroku as her friend continued to stare outside, waiting. "What?"

"Inuyasha as a full demon. What… What was he like?"

Sango had obviously caught the tail end of the question, her own eyes focused on her as she sat down. Kagome didn't really know how to answer. Truthfully, she barely remembered what happened. But there was still one thing that came through, clear as day. "He has red eyes," she whispered. Her voice sounded almost flat but it wasn't boredom or fear that made it that way. It was something else, a memory of a nightmare that wouldn't resurface. "He doesn't really look all that different. He'd been covered in blood. I honestly thought he was going to die. I was so shocked when I saw him again, driving."

There was silence for a moment, thick like a fog. Miroku continued, "He said he almost killed you."

"If he did, I don't really remember it. Or he hid it well." Shrugging, she picked at the wrapper of her granola bar just for something to do. "There was this other demon that had chased me down in the forest. I thought I was going to die. It kept saying that there was something it wanted and— I thought I was dead when all of a sudden, he was there. He saved me."

Miroku frowned at her. "When I got there, he wasn't a full demon. I would have remembered him with red eyes."

Shaking her head, Kagome pushed away from the little table. "When I tried to stop the bleeding, before you arrived, his eyes went back to normal." She gestured towards the hallway. "I'm just going to get some air, okay? I'll be right back."

Neither Miroku nor Sango stopped her; her getaway was smooth and quick. She headed down the very same hallway that Inuyasha had disappeared from. She didn't slam the door.

Outside made her burrow deeper into her jacket, despite the sun. Kagome hadn't really needed air but she had already said something she hadn't wanted to. She loved Miroku and Sango but this was… This was something bigger than her and she couldn't just sit inside and _wait_ while Inuyasha was— wherever he was.

She walked a little off, closer towards the forest though it was still far away. She couldn't see anything out of the ordinary and it made her gut clench. "Inuyasha?"

Too quiet, by far.

"Inuyasha!" she called out. Waited.

Nothing.

Sighing, Kagome stuffed her hands into her pockets. What could she even say if she saw him? I hadn't known? It's okay? It doesn't matter?

All true, but probably not what the half-demon needed.

"It's only me," she said eventually. "And I need you."

More silence. More nothing. Not even the shift of trees.

It felt stupid to keep going, but she did it nonetheless. Foolishly, even. "Come on, Jinenji deserves help. His mom deserves help. I can't do this alone, Inuyasha."

Saying his name hurt and Kagome didn't know why. Maybe it was earlier. Maybe it was the admission.

Maybe it was something else.

The tiniest sound, a barely-there ruffle that drew Kagome's attention and forced her to turn, dark brown eyes searching the forest line furthest away. He was far, granted, but that was him.

Red sweater. Long silver hair.

He jumped and Kagome didn't move as he came closer and closer. He landed a few feet away, just outside of her reach to touch. Inuyasha glared at her with those golden orbs, just as haunting as the red ones but for reasons she couldn't really say. His hands were like hers – stuffed in their pockets – and his mouth was in a thin, tight line.

His feet were bare. It was a reminder of what he was, but Kagome hadn't ever really forgotten, had she?

"Let's go then," he said, voice little more than a growl. She could barely understand him.

"No, we have to bring Miroku and Sango. They need to understand."

More silence, and a stillness that was wholly unnatural. Ever since he declared his true nature moments ago – despite it never having been different – it seemed like he was revelling in it. He shrugged then, turning away to stare back at the tree line. "They're not wrong, you know. Even I've never met a demon that didn't want to hurt someone else."

Kagome considered that.

"It's weird." Inuyasha stopped talking then, even though it sounded like was just about to start. She waited him out, letting the breeze pull at her hair. They weren't visible from the kitchen window so unless Miroku or Sango came out, it would just be the two of them. That was enough, for now. The half-demon grunted, taking out a hand and staring at his claws. "There's never been a demon like me but I remember my mom and I remember what she said."

He said it with such finality, Kagome touched his back lightly, encouraging. "And?"

"And my dad liked chocolate chip cookies." He frowned at that. "He used to dance with her." He stepped away from her touch and growled. Clearly there were questions running around in his head, ones that he wouldn't vocalize. Was he worried that maybe she somehow lied to him?

The whole situation was confusing but Kagome could practically hear the ticking of time and knew they had to get back to Jinenji and his mother. "Inuyasha…"

"Yeah," the half-demon huffed out, glaring still at the forest. "Yeah I know. I'll get the other two."

"I can get them if you don't want to talk to—" But he immediately waved her off, heading into the house. It took her a few moments to decide if she wanted to follow him or not, torn between being some kind of buffer that the half-demon likely didn't need, and staying out of their business. She wished for the briefest of seconds that she had the hearing Inuyasha did, just to listen in.

Grimacing, Kagome shook her head and jogged into the house. There was no way she was going to wait outside.

There wasn't any yelling. Kagome let her shoulders relax the moment it was clear no one was at risk of storming off again. In fact, she could hear Inuyasha's halting words and then Miroku's voice, saying the same thing over and over.

"We should have just listened to you," Sango said. "And trusted you on this. Especially you."

Inuyasha muttered something, so quiet Kagome couldn't hear. She didn't want to enter the room yet, wanted to give the three of them a little bit of space. She peered around the corner and watched as Miroku shook his head, more emphatic as Inuyasha continued, until finally the blue-eyed teen reached over and wrapped his arms around the half-demon.

"You don't have to—"

"No," Miroku said firmly, refusing to let go. "Not until you believe it."

Inuyasha rolled his eyes up to the ceiling and it was enough to make Sango laugh a little. "He's not going to back off, you know."

"This is a little overboard." Inuyasha patted his friend on the back, looking awkward.

"Sango!" Miroku yelled. "Come on!"

"What—"

But before Inuyasha could get in another word, Sango joined in. Kagome could easily see the grin on Miroku's face widen. For a long moment, Inuyasha stood still, looking down at his two best friends. The ones he grew up with, who he learned with and played with and trained with. Kagome understood it a little – a sense of sibling love that was hard to explain or quantify – but it seemed so much deeper between the three. For all that they had been through together, especially recently: Sango's family dying, the demons flooding Sakura, growing up in a world that was so much different than they expected.

Inuyasha slowly wrapped his arms around both of them, face carefully blank.

With a smile, Kagome backed out and headed towards the garage door. No doubt the half-demon could hear her, but that was fine.

It was going to be okay. They still had more to apologize for, and surely Sango and Miroku had a lot more to say to Inuyasha, but for now… They'd be fine.

She held onto the feeling as she waited outside, burrowing into her jacket. It wasn't too bad out but the chill still got to her, seeped into her bones and stayed there. It wasn't so bad when she was running, at least.

The main garage door opening spun her around. Miroku, Sango and Inuyasha slowly came into view as the door opened. Sango was on her ATV already, getting it started while Miroku finished putting on his jacket.

"Ready to go?" the magenta-eyed girl called.

"Whenever you are."

Inuyasha led the way, his red sweater easily distinguishable from the brown and green of the forest. The ATVs rumbled loudly, Sango gunning it as Kagome held on tightly. It wasn't too far, but they were already close on time. She hoped that Natsuko and Jinenji would still be there, waiting and unworried.

Eventually, Inuyasha disappeared, no longer visible. Sango slowed like she realized they were close, following the path. Eventually, the trees opened up enough to see scarred orange skin. Kagome didn't have to have Inuyasha's senses to know that Sango took in a sharp breath, whether out of surprise or to steel herself, Kagome wasn't sure.

Jinenji was sitting down, leaning against a tree and picking at some weeds that looked like flowers. His mother leaned against his thick leg, eyes closed and arms crossed. She sat up when they arrived, the lines on her face disappearing slightly. Jinenji did this best to pretend that none of them were there, big fingers idly toying with a stem.

Kagome hopped off of the ATV, letting Miroku and Sango take their time as they assessed the situation. They were fine to be cautious but she didn't feel the need to be, knowing without proof that the two of them were harmless. Inuyasha was eyeing the other half-demon, mouth in a thin line but otherwise calm, steady. Kagome needed that, if nothing else. "Sorry it took so long."

"Don't be sorry, we're glad you came back." Natsuko slowly stood up and smiled. "Thank you."

"Don't thank us yet," Inuyasha replied. He uncrossed his arms, waving backwards towards the rest of them. "You know Kagome. This is Sango, and that's Miroku."

"It's nice to meet you," Natsuko greeted kindly. "I'm Natsuko and this is my son, Jinenji." She looked at him with that same exasperated fondness from earlier and Kagome felt a pang at it, a familiarity. "Don't be shy."

Jinenji's big blue eyes finally turned to them all, quickly skimming over Inuyasha before slowly assessing the rest of them, ending on her. Trying to be encouraging, Kagome smiled. "Hi Jinenji."

"Hello," the orange demon rumbled.

"You're…" Miroku trailed off for a moment, clearly at a loss.

"You're a half-demon?" Sango asked. Her tone wasn't reproachful, just wary curiosity. It would have to do.

Jinenji hummed and looked back down at the ground, at the grass between his fingers. Natsuko spoke up then, patting his leg. "Yes. I'll admit, for a long time I thought he was the only one."

"What happened to you guys?"

"Just over a week ago, our house burned down in the middle of the night." Natsuko crossed her arms, disturbed. "Jinenji said he sensed another demon but when we ran, nothing chased us."

Kagome watched as Inuyasha frowned, and then looked to the rest of the group. It couldn't be a coincidence that their house burned down a few days before a charred body was found on the front porch. "You didn't see anything?"

"No. I was helping my ma." Jinenji pulled his legs close to his chest, big arms wrapping around. "But I could smell it."

Inuyasha's gaze narrowed. "What did it smell like?"

The orange half-demon shook his head, eyes downcast. "Smoke, but not smoke. I can't explain it."

"Do you think this demon is coming after you?" Sango asked then. "The one that burned your house down."

"We haven't seen anything since and Jinenji hasn't sensed anything either." Natsuko patted her son's knee again.

"We should get you somewhere safe, just in case." Kagome looked at Sango, considering. "Is there anywhere off the grid they could stay?"

Sango pressed her lips together, clearly thinking it over. She spared a glance at Miroku before shrugging. "We don't have any cabins and there's nothing we've seen in the forest that could work. Maybe…" She paused and winced. "Would a regular room be big enough for you?"

Jinenji didn't seem to take any offence, nor did his mother. He simply blinked his big blue eyes and ducked his head. "Sometimes. Doorways can be tight but I can fit. It's just…the inside."

"We can make-do in a motel for now," Natsuko said. "The few times we've stopped the last few days, I've been in contact with our insurance company. We need to straighten the finances out, and then we should be able to find a place." When Sango opened her mouth to say something, the older woman smiled. "Don't worry. We'll be fine."

Miroku stepped forward. "In the meanwhile, we'll try to find something that can work for you both, something better than a motel."

"Thank you." Natsuko let out a long breath. "We've heard a lot about the protectors of Sakura. We're thankful that you'd let us stay here. We won't cause any trouble."

"You've heard about us?" Kagome asked, surprised. Her friends looked just as taken aback. "How?"

"The only other demon, besides my late husband, that has ever been kind." The older woman sighed. "Just a tiny thing, so never any threat to my Jinenji. But he shares information. He'd warn us when trouble was coming, if he could. Last time we saw him was about a month ago. He told us there'd be trouble but…" She shrugged. "We couldn't leave our home. It was all we had left."

Kagome could see the tight line of her shoulders and the way Jinenji looked absolutely miserable. There was so much she wanted to ask, but even more that they needed to do to help. Involuntary, she looked at Inuyasha, who had been silent for a long, long time. Like he could sense it, his golden gaze held hers, momentary but sure.

"We'll help you," she said, nodding firmly. "It won't be the same as what you lost but we'll make sure you can start over, safely."

Natsuko looked close to tears but it was Jinenji who surprised her most. He stood up, slow and steady as if he worried his sudden movements would scare them. If he'd always been treated like some kind of monster, or if he'd always hidden like Inuyasha, it was a despondent explanation as to why.

"Thank you," he said solemnly, one of his fingers resting on the entirety of his mother's head. "For accepting us."

Her throat felt tight. Even if Jinenji was only thanking them for the help, and not hinting at their acceptance of his existence, it still struck a chord.

Inuyasha spun around on his heel, turning away from the group. "Like I said, don't thank us yet."

* * *

It had taken hours, but eventually they were able to get Natsuko situated at a motel. It was close enough to the forest that Jinenji could cross at night to squeeze in. The rooms weren't big, so he'd be very cramped, but the goal was for temporary shelter while Natsuko organized their finances.

Kagome didn't like it. She didn't like anything about the situation. But Sango and Miroku looked helpless and Inuyasha remained as stoic as ever.

The house was mostly quiet through lunch, hastily put together sandwiches and stuttered conversation. It wasn't tense, but it wasn't easy either. It made slithers of anxiety creep up her spine and wrap themselves around her ribcage. Breathing through it helped, but the itch to do something to distract her was slowly becoming a burning need.

"The weather isn't bad," Kagome said, an idea forming as she drew their attention. "Why don't we train outside? I'm missing archery practice today anyways."

And that was how an hour later her fingers were sore and her arm tingled. It was the good kind though, the one that meant hard work and consistent shots. Sango and Miroku were sparring in the fenced off area a few feet away, their grunts and cut-off laughs loud in the otherwise quiet forest.

Kagome stared at the target several feet away from her, dark eyes latching on to the tiny red bullseye that had faded over time. She nocked her arrow and readied, pulling back on the inhale and pausing only the briefest of moments before releasing, breath whooshing out of her.

Slightly off, but still within the red circle.

Again.

She shot and shot and shot until she had to reclaim her arrows from the board to set back up. She repeated the process over and over, until the threads of tension started to melt away and the fog in her mind faded. Her focus was on the target and her breathing. Nothing else mattered in that moment.

Which was why when she turned around to get more arrows, she nearly jumped out of her skin when she saw Inuyasha sitting on the half-wall, watching her.

"Oh god," she panted out, her free hand clutching at her chest. "You scared me." Inuyasha raised a brow at her, arms already crossed. She had no idea how he was sitting so steadily, considering the wall was quite thin. It had to hurt to sit there. "How long have you been watching me?"

The half-demon snorted. "Not long."

"Have a good run?"

A shrug, but Kagome figured that was all she was going to get anyways. Meeting Jinenji that morning had only served to make the silver-haired half-demon quiet, stewing in some kind of history she wasn't aware of. It hadn't been an easy morning but she didn't know what to do to make it better. Or, at least, a little easier.

Choosing to let it go, Kagome grabbed her arrows and sighted down the line for her target once more. The bullseye was too easy. She needed to hit the upper left corner, as close as she could without missing.

"Why archery?"

The question seemed to come out of nowhere. Kagome hadn't yet nocked her arrow so she paused, taking the time to answer without distracting her gaze. "I don't really know. I just remember always doing it, even when I was little. Mom had this fake foam set I used to play with and when I got old enough, I took lessons."

No response, but she didn't expect one. Readying herself, she aimed and let go in quick succession. The arrow landed on the target, but it didn't look as close to the edge as she wanted it. One more.

"And your brother plays soccer?"

"Pretty sure I traumatized him with arrows when he was younger. Archery wasn't for him."

Inuyasha snorted again, sounding amused. Kagome kept her back to him so she could hide her smile.

The next arrow landed wide. With a sigh, Kagome gently placed her bow on the case and shook out her hands. They would be sore tonight but it was worth it. She hadn't had such a long session since that time Sen kicked her out of practice.

Inuyasha was no longer sitting on the half-wall, but rather leaning on it. His gaze was impassive, focused deep into the forest where there was nothing but trees and piles of leaves. Kagome purposely nudged him a little, getting into his space while he was quiet enough to let it happen. "You okay?"

"Why wouldn't I be?" the half-demon asked. He didn't sound angry, or even sarcastic. If anything, he sounded tired.

"Maybe it was just me, but today seemed like a really crappy day." When Inuyasha just shrugged at her, she sighed. "And are you still okay with Miroku and Sango? Things were…tense, earlier."

To his credit, the silver-haired teen smirked a little and glanced at her. If there was anything really wrong, he was hiding it well. "You should have seen our fights when we were young."

"You're deflecting."

Inuyasha rolled his eyes. "Whatever. Yeah, we're fine. I'm sure Miroku is going to corral Sango and then corner me in my bedroom so we can all have a group therapy session about it."

"You guys should talk though," Kagome stressed, trying to hide her confusion from her tone. "I mean, the entire morning was messed up. Assuming Jinenji was bad just because he's half-demon? _You're_ half-demon."

Inuyasha turned then, hip pressing hard enough into the wooden wall to make it creak. He was completely facing her and so, so much closer than she realized. When had they gotten so close? Hadn't she taken a step back after nudging him? The half-demon ducked his head, as if he was trying to get on her level. "I hate to break this to you, but you're the only human I have ever met that hasn't taken one look at me – the _full me_ , with ears and fangs and everything – and didn't want me dead. In fact, you did the opposite."

"Who has—"

"Other demon slayers, obviously. And only a few, since Asato didn't trust a lot of them to keep their word on my safety."

Kagome bit her lip, a thousand questions on the tip of her tongue and her voice giving life to none of them. "You said I saved you, earlier."

Inuyasha made a face and turned away.

"Wait, no! I just— I don't remember doing that. I mean, I balled up my t-shirt but you heal ridiculously fast anyways. I didn't—" _Save you_ , she wanted to finish but unable to.

For a few seconds, neither of them said anything. Inuyasha didn't turn back around and his lips were pressed into a thin line. Obviously, he was done whatever talking he had wanted to do.

"Really?" Kagome asked, near pleading.

"That's not the kind of saving I meant," the half-demon said finally, looking like it pained him to say it. Kagome frowned in confusion but before she could get another word edgewise, Inuyasha pushed away from the wall and headed towards her target. "Come on. Let's pack up your stuff."

The fact that he was walking away should have annoyed her. The fact that he was being so vague with his answers should have _also_ annoyed her.

But all it did was make her shake her head, a tiny smile forcing its way through. Kagome should have felt anything in that moment but fondness.

Should have, but didn't.

* * *

When she got the text message, it was like someone stole all of the air from the room. Slamming her textbook closed, Kagome gripped her cell phone and headed downstairs. It was morbid, horrible, but there was nothing to be done.

Sango had promised to share everything tomorrow.

The television was blaring the news like it always was, her grandfather watching with a mixture of disdain and surprise. The news was on cycle, the female anchor giving some sort of sports highlights as Kagome settled onto the couch, tucking her feet into the crack between the cushions. "Hey Grandpa," she greeted, swallowing down the bile. She had to act normal.

"Finished homework?" her grandfather asked, sparing her a glance. "I thought you had a ton of it."

"Just needed a quick break." Her phone buzzed then; a new message from Sango. _Don't watch the news_.

Too late. Besides, Kagome was positive she wouldn't have been able to stay away. Her heart was racing, chest tightening in the all-too-familiar pattern of anxiety. It washed over her, made her compulsively check her phone even though it didn't buzz. A distraction wasn't what she needed but her body craved for it all the same. Her hands kept fumbling around, trying to do something when there was nothing around her. The blanket wasn't even nearby, instead firmly wrapped around the arm of the neighbouring couch.

She didn't want to get up though. Wasn't sure if her legs would support her if she did.

When the news cycle came back on, it was an effort to breathe. Her mind was screaming at her, red flags waving as alarms blared. This wasn't healthy. This was a bad idea. She clamped her mouth shut to breathe in – _one, two, three, four_ – and then let it burst out in a rush, a little worried that she couldn't inhale for the usual five seconds.

Again. One, two, three, four, five—

" _Police have opened an investigation into the murder of a woman found in Rando Springs earlier this morning. The victim was found with severe burns and stab wounds, and has yet to be identified. Police say they have little initial information with regards to her death."_

And then it changed, sudden and sharp, making Kagome's insides twist. She waited, watching the next story, and then the next. But nothing more came of it and soon sports was back on, some championship win that was yet another unprecedented year.

So that was it then. The body that had been found on their front porch was officially found by the police. Kagome didn't want to know what Mushin had had to do to protect them all, but at the same time she was desperate for it. A woman had died because of them, for one reason or another. Maybe she was just random happenstance. Maybe she was a specific victim. They didn't know and no matter how hard Sango looked in her parents' journals, or how hard they questioned Inuyasha, she wasn't familiar.

But she had to have had a family. Children of her own, maybe. Would she understand? If she had been presented with all the facts, all of their reasons for moving her and hiding her and doing whatever they had to do to remove evidence… Would the victim have understood?

The whole thing made her sick to her stomach. On weak, coltish legs, Kagome forced herself up. She kissed her grandfather on the cheek and crawled up the stairs, trying to get her breathing even. It seemed an insurmountable task, even as she turned off the lights and rolled into bed.

When she dreamed, she saw blood red eyes and fire, hot and orange and licking up her skin until she screamed with it.

* * *

She felt heavy.

It was a weird thing to describe yourself as, but Kagome couldn't find a better way to do it. Staring at her notebook until the alarm went off, the anxiety clawing at her chest didn't dissipate. Her dreams had been filled with nightmares and the waking hours hadn't been much better. All she could think about was the dead body dropped at the front door, burnt and clawed at.

What had they done?

A few times, Kagome considered texting Inuyasha to cancel their run. It burned in her body though, a sort of energy that wouldn't go away even though all it made her want to do was stay in bed. But she had to get up. She had to go. Get answers. Surely Mushin had shared some details, now that the body had been found.

 _Get up_.

Maybe Inuyasha had information he could tell her. The half-demon didn't even break into a sweat running with her; he could talk if she made him.

But it was evident, in the minutes after as she jogged towards the forest, that the half-demon was in no state to say anything at all. Inuyasha looked exhausted, a bone deep weariness that her heart knew too well. There were bags under his eyes and his long hair was a mess, tangled and knotted. It looked like he had been running for hours, eyes glassy. No, she decided then. She wouldn't ask him and add that horror onto whatever else he was dealing with.

As they were about to part ways, run finished and Kagome feeling the sweat latch on to her skin, she touched his arm lightly. She had no idea what made her do it. "Have you seen Jinenji and his mom?"

Inuyasha nodded, brisk. "Last night."

There was something in the way his face tightened, the lines growing deeper that made Kagome keep contact, her hand still on him. "Are they okay?"

"Fine." The half-demon's gaze skittered for a moment, golden orbs focused far away. "For now, at least. Until we figure out something better."

That surprised her. "We?"

"They, whatever." Inuyasha shrugged, the movement screaming of defeat. "You should get back to the house. Your mom will be worried."

It was the last line that got to her. Before Kagome knew what she was doing, her arms were wrapping around his middle and she pulled him close, nose pressed into his shoulder. For an instant, all she could do was panic internally. Inuyasha was still, frozen in place.

That made it worse, somehow.

Stepping away, Kagome latched on to the only thing that was true and easy. Inuyasha's eyes were staring at her, intense as always. She couldn't read his expression right then, but a large part of her didn't want to understand it anyways. "Just— Take care of yourself, okay? Whatever is going on, we'll fix it. Everything."

The dead body on the porch. Her powers. Jinenji.

All of it.

Inuyasha blinked at her, tired eyes unwavering.

"I'll see you later, yeah?" She didn't really wait for a response, heading back to her house and pushing any and all thoughts of the half-demon from her mind. He had looked so, so tired and Kagome knew she could dwell on that all day if she let herself. Instead, she wished her mother a good morning and then headed up for a shower. Her mom was waiting at the kitchen table for her and the two of them shared a quiet morning of tea and plans for the day.

The walk to school was cold, so Kagome spent most of it with her head buried in her scarf. It was a relief when the school came into sight, only a handful of senior students braving the outside. Her friends were waiting at her locker, all of them excitedly chatting about the dance next week and plans for the weekend to go shopping.

"You're coming with, right?" Eri asked. "Lunch at the food court and then dress hunting?"

"Yeah that sounds good," Kagome answered, somewhat distracted as she grabbed her books for class. "At Centrepoint mall?"

"Probably the best option," Yuka said, shrugging. "Better chance we'll all find something we like."

Eri grinned widely at that and Ayumi rolled her eyes. "Don't start."

"What?" she asked, far from innocent. "It's just unfair that Kagome can't bring her boyfriend. I'm sure he'd love whatever dress she gets."

It was Kagome's turn to roll her eyes. "I'm sure he'd survive."

"Hojo might not!"

Oh god, not this again. " _Guys_."

"I'm joking!" Eri laughed, hands up placatingly. "Come on, let's go. Mr. Takahashi will glare at us if we're late to class again."

"I'm not the one who's late," Kagome grumbled, shutting her locker and following her friend anyways.

Only, Mr. Takahashi wasn't there. A supply was in, the man clearly recovering from some kind of illness. His long black hair was dull, skin pale as he wrote his name on the chalkboard: _Mr. Hitomi_.

"Where do they find these people?" Eri whispered, unsubtly gesturing towards the man. "He looks like he's going to keel over."

Kagome held back her smile, just in time for the man to turn around and stare directly at her. His eyes were bloodshot, pupils nothing more than tiny pricks. An icy chill slithered up her spine, the kind born from a fear that was entirely primal. But the man's gaze immediately shifted, lingering around the room and landing on each student in turn. Eventually the class fell silent and the substitute began his lecture, voice deep and soothing.

"And I thought civics couldn't get any more boring," Eri groaned, under her breath and miserable.

Kagome whole-heartedly agreed.

Gym next period made it a little bit easier, but Eri's words made it difficult for her to look at Hojo in the eye, and it didn't help that the boy spoke to her whenever the opportunity arose. He wasn't pushy or flirty or anything that made her feel weird. It was just…uncomfortable, because she knew he liked her, and he knew that she knew, and he knew that she had a boyfriend.

The boyfriend was fake but, well, no one had to know that but Kagome.

Like she usually did after gym class, Kagome gathered her things and waved goodbye to Yuka so that she could find Sango and Miroku. She wondered if they would be just as tired as their mutual silver-haired friend, or if it was only him running himself ragged. They were already in the cafeteria, picking at their lunches and talking about something quietly between themselves. It didn't look serious, which made Kagome breathe a lot easier. The fact that the two of them had managed to work whatever issues they had out in the past week made everything so, so much better.

Then again, Kagome hadn't really had a chance to talk to Sango about it. Maybe it was a temporary truce; a dead body and the emotional roller coaster of the lizard demon bringing them together.

God, she hoped they had their issues worked out. Kagome wasn't sure she could go through it again, not with Inuyasha also suffering for entirely different reasons completely unknown to her.

"Hey," she greeted, dumping her lunch bag on the table and sliding in next to Sango. "How's it going?"

"It's going," Miroku answered wearily, trying for a smile but missing it. "I guess you saw the news last night?"

All she needed to do was nod her head. It was impossible not to think about the dead body, about the fact that it was found and still unidentified to the media. Had they all been haunted by nightmares?

"It was rough," Sango admitted, magenta eyes focused on the table. "We had to practically beg Mushin to tell us anything. He says the less we know, the better. All he'd say was that Inuyasha's name was removed and that his contacts had submitted an anonymous tip to police about where to find the body – in a new location, obviously, the next town over."

"Did he find out anything about her?" Kagome asked, terrified of the answer but needing to know anyways.

Both of her friends just shook their heads though. "Not yet. Not that he'll tell us, anyways."

Opening her mouth to talk about how disastrous Inuyasha had looked, she quickly changed tracks when she realized that would bring up their daily morning runs. By now, they had to know, but she wouldn't explain it until they forced her to. "How's Inuyasha?"

"He's—" Sango cut herself off.

"Not good," Miroku finished, lips pursed. "He thinks it's all his fault. The name on her body… That's messed him up."

"And he has no idea who it could be?" Kagome asked, even though she knew the answer. They'd be over this a hundred times. "I mean, he said the list of people who knew about him was so small. That should make it easier, right?"

"Should, but isn't." Sango shook her head. "He has no idea."

So they were still at square one, where they had been the entire time. No leads, no news, and a threat hovering above their heads. Kagome tried not feel weighed down by it but last night had been wretched and she was exhausted. How much longer could they do this for?

"What do we do if the police find out?" Kagome asked resignedly, staring at her lunch. She wasn't hungry anymore.

"Mushin said it wasn't possible." Miroku shrugged and bit into an apple. "But I don't know how big his connections are."

"They have to be huge," Sango stated, leaning forward on the table. "To move a dead body and have this whole clusterfuck taken care of?"

"That, or someone owed him a favour."

Kagome tried not to imagine what kind of things would have to happen for a favour like that.

"No, there's a network," Sango said, changing tracks. "He said so. Unless you think he's lying."

The blue-eyed teen didn't have anything to say to that, only shrugging in response. It struck Kagome then how little they knew about the slaying world, even though they had grown up in it. How much had Sango's parents sheltered them from? At the time, it made sense. With them gone, it made everything that much harder.

"You're still coming on Sunday, right?"

The question startled Kagome out of her thoughts. She rubbed at her eyes; she was still so tired. All she wanted to do was sleep for a week. "Yeah," she replied. "I have to go home before dinner though."

"Family dinner," Sango agreed. "That's okay. Kaede said the afternoon was best for her anyways."

Wait, what? Kagome frowned, peering from between her fingers at her friend. Kaede was the old woman, the younger sister of the last known priestess. What did Kaede have to do with anything?

"I take it from that look," Miroku started, voice slow, "that Inuyasha never told you."

"Told me what?"

Sango's brow furrowed. "Kaede moved into town, or like, just on the edge of it. She wanted to come by and Mushin thought maybe you two could do a little bit of training. Didn't Inuyasha text you?"

That question was even weirder than the whole conversation. "Why would he text me?" This time, when Miroku and Sango shared a glance, Kagome had to make a real effort not to groan. She didn't have the mental capacity to parse through it. "Guys, seriously," she whined.

"No, it's just— He was kind of pissed about it." Sango was staring at her intently with those big, magenta eyes. It felt like an interrogation, even though the girl wasn't asking any questions. "Inuyasha got all weird, and he said something about telling you."

Kagome blinked. "Tell me what? That she was coming on Sunday?"

"That's…" Miroku raised both eyebrows, clearly putting together some sort of puzzle they didn't know. "That's what we thought. Apparently not."

"Why was he even mad?" Sango asked, poking at Kagome's arm to get her full attention. "He refused to tell us anything. Just kind of grumbled and ran to the forest."

"How am I supposed to know?"

"You were there, weren't you?" Miroku asked. His mouth twitched upwards a bit, strangely amused. "The trip to Kaede's place. Sango was too hurt to go."

"Still pissed about that, by the way."

Miroku rolled his eyes. "Yeah, Sango, I'm aware." He was grinning though, pointing a finger her way. "You take every opportunity to remind me of how terribly I've wronged you."

"You do the same thing to me!"

"Do not."

"Oh my god, guys," Kagome groaned, burying her face in her hands. "This is too much for a Friday."

"It's Thursday," Sango corrected, patting her consolingly.

She just groaned again. Actually, it was kind of nice having her eyes shut, even while in the loud cafeteria with terrible chairs. She was so exhausted; she didn't doubt she could fall asleep if someone let her.

"Miroku! Hey!"

Blinking bleary eyes, Kagome raised her head just in time to see a somewhat familiar girl walk by their table, brown eyes focused on their friend. She was definitely older, in Miroku's grade. She looked so _familiar_ —

"Don't forget to find me after math," the girl stated, trying to sound stern but missing by a mile. "I was serious about the colour coordination."

"In your dreams, Koharu."

 _Right_. That girl. The one with the obvious crush on Miroku. The one that made Sango—

Sparing a glance at her friend, Kagome tried not to wince at Sango's stubborn, baleful expression, directed at the tabletop. So despite everything, she still hadn't talked to Miroku about her feelings. Or, at least, her mess of feelings. Kagome wasn't one to judge considering her own love-life was a bit of a disaster. But it just seemed so clear to her that the two of them loved each other. Sango had even admitted it!

But there was love, and then there was _love_.

Kagome sighed and rested her head back in the crook of her arm. She didn't have the mental capacity to deal with this right now. A nap though, that she could do.

* * *

Inuyasha didn't look any better the next morning. In fact, he looked worse. Bags under his eyes. Hair hastily thrown up in a bun that was more loose strands than order. Chapped lips and haunted eyes.

She didn't have the heart to ask. Not about Jinenji, or the body, or Inuyasha's weird reaction to Kaede coming. Kagome simply ran, step by step at his side. Breaths even.

No hugs at the end. No promises for it to be better.

Kagome was positive the half-demon wouldn't have believed her anyways.

* * *

If asked, she wasn't entirely sure how she got into the position she was in.

It started with a text message. She'd been getting ready to go to the mall and meet her friends when it started vibrating repeatedly on her desk. At first she figured it was Eri or Ayumi, making sure she was still coming. Kagome had barely remembered to buy a ticket to the gala after all so her friends – while kind – barely trusted her to remember anything these days. Kagome didn't really blame them.

But it kept going off.

Kagome checked it, surprised to see that Sango was messaging her.

 _Tell me you're free to hang out._

Followed by: _I need to get out of here._

 _I'm going to kill Miroku._

 _Then Inuyasha._

 _But probably just Miroku._

Sango wasn't exactly friends with Yuka, Eri and Ayumi, but she knew for a fact that they wouldn't mind if she joined. They were just going to the mall, shopping for dresses. _Going to Centrepoint with the girls. You should come._

She was sure Sango would bow out. While the magenta-eyed girl was confident, she seemed to have trouble when it came to making other friends. Even Kagome had been a slow sort of warming up to. Eventually, they had become close. Kagome figured that life or death situations did that to people.

It took a few moments but eventually Sango replied. _If they don't mind_.

And of course, they didn't. The girls were just excited to shop, the dance the only thing they had been talking about for weeks. They were meeting directly at the mall; Kagome's mom had no issue picking up Sango on the way to dropping them off. Usually Kagome always had Inuyasha pick her up – whether in a car or by piggyback – so her mom seemed a little pleased that she was the one doing the driving that time. It made Kagome feel guilty, heart sitting in her stomach while her mother looked content. Something so basic made her so happy… And Kagome's lies were getting in the way of making that a regular occurrence.

She took a deep breath and let Sango know what time to be ready at.

When they did eventually go and get her, Kagome was sitting in the back seat. Her mother was humming along to the music, turned down low as they approached the large house. "You know," she said, giving a brief smile over her shoulder, "I'm glad you're bringing Sango to hang out with the girls. You don't normally do that."

"Sango's kind of…shy about that stuff," Kagome answered, for lack of anything better to say. "But I think she needed out of the house."

"Is she going to the dance too?"

"No. She says she's not the type."

Her mother hummed again, slowing to a stop just as Sango exited the front doors. "Well you'll still have fun anyways."

Sango hopped into the back then, cheerfully greeting her mom and waving before turning desperate eyes on Kagome. " _Thank you_ ," she said emphatically.

"That bad?"

A huge, heavy sigh escaped her. "It's just this stupid dance. Miroku's going with Koharu and all she does is call and he's like coordinating with her or something because they're going together. And I just needed a break from this whole dance thing. I'm over it."

As the words left her friend's mouth, Kagome froze, a little wide-eyed. Had she not said…anything? About why they were shopping? "You do know we're shopping for dresses for the dance, right?" she asked, voice at a higher pitch than normal while she tried not to cringe.

Sango stared at her before a second, understanding making her face go blank before she groaned. " _No_."

"Yes."

Sango crossed her arms. "Whatever. It's still way better than listening to Miroku talk to what's-her-name about it on the phone."

"You know you're jealous, right?" Kagome asked, unable to stop herself.

Another sigh and this time, when Sango looked at her, it was sheer acceptance. "Yeah. I figured that out when I wanted to rip his cell phone out of his hands and bury it in the woods."

Kagome snorted a laugh and before long, Sango was grinning too. "No way."

"He brings out the worst in me."

"Does Inuyasha know?"

"Haven't…really seen him." She eyed Kagome's mother for a moment, clearly expressing that she didn't want to give too much away. It made sense and she should have known better but— Had she really not seen the half=demon around? He looked worse and worse every morning when they ran together. Pretty soon, Kagome expected for him to not show up at all, too exhausted to even make it over. How had they not seen him?

Sango squeezed Kagome's hand then before looking up at the front. "So Mrs. H, what colour dress would look best on Kagome? I kind of think green, but I'm not really good at this stuff."

Her mom, bless her, jumped into the conversation easily. Kagome couldn't help but enjoy it, despite the nagging worry at the back of her mind. There was clearly more to the story – the little hand gesture was easy enough to read – but it still bothered her, made it difficult to talk about dresses and dances and fun when everything else seemed so troublesome. She watched Sango, laughing with her mother and grinning like it was nothing. She knew that wasn't the case – knew that Sango carried so much with her it would have been crippling to anyone else – but the girl made it look so effortless to bounce between worlds. The world Kagome once resided in, of ignorant bliss. And the other, darker world of demons and blood and death.

When her mom dropped them off at the mall, she made them promise to meet back in a few hours and to call if anything came up. Kagome waved goodbye and thanked her, dragging Sango towards the mall doors until she was out of sight. Before the doors she stopped, refusing to go further even though Yuka and Ayumi had both texted her that they were in the food court waiting. They could wait a little longer.

"What do you mean you haven't seen him?" Kagome asked, trying to keep her voice level.

Sango swore, shaking her head. "I knew that was the wrong thing to say. No, we _have_ seen him but he's been…distant. He's running circuits of the forest a lot now, and going back and forth to check on Jinenji. At first, Miroku and I thought he was still mad at us because of what we said, but this has been going on for a week now, long before the other half-demon arrived. He keeps disappearing at the weirdest times and every morning at breakfast, he looks exhausted."

"Do you think he's going for runs at night?"

"Probably. That, or he's just not sleeping. We tried to talk to him about it yesterday before school, but he just shut down." Kagome remembered all too well what Inuyasha had looked like that morning. Sango stared at her hard then, magenta eyes intense. She looked like she was bracing herself to say something, damn the consequences. "Has he said anything to you about it?"

She shook her head. She didn't bother denying that she'd seen him since Thursday because obviously she and Miroku had put two and two together. "No. He looks so tired I'm scared to even ask."

"I thought he'd at least talk to you."

Kagome couldn't help but feel worse, like maybe she should have pushed no matter how terribly he looked. Inuyasha would always take the bait if she demanded a reaction though it seemed so cruel to force him into one now. She shook her head. "We don't exactly talk when we see each other," she said, thinking about the sound of pounding feet and steady breaths.

"Wow, okay." Her tone of voice made Kagome look up, confused. Sango just blinked wide eyes back. "He's like a brother to me, so I'm torn between being happy for him and being horrified he has any kind of love life at all."

Love— "Oh, _no_ ," Kagome exclaimed firmly, shaking her head with enough enthusiasm that her bangs stung her eyes. "No, not—Why do you think _that_?"

She didn't even have the gall to look chagrined. "You mean you're not…" She waved her hand dismissively. "Kissing and shit."

"We— We run together," Kagome stated, hating the way that images of Inuyasha lying in her bed, kissing her and holding her started to flicker through her brain, like projections on a screen. "When that centipede demon attacked me, I was scared to go back into the forest to run on my own. Inuyasha said he'd run with me, if it helped."

"You _run_?"

"He jogs," she admitted, like it made this whole situation any better.

"Huh."

Kagome's phone started to vibrate with a phone call and she wasn't sure if she felt relief or annoyance that the conversation was ending. It was Ayumi calling, probably worried. "We should head inside," she said, gesturing towards the doors as she answered the call. "Hi, we're coming, sorry!"

Ayumi just laughed and told them where their table was. "Is Sango with you?" she asked, not unkindly.

"Yeah, we came together."

"Great. See you soon!"

Ayumi's infectious excitement made her smile as she hung up. Sango was staring at her, a worried expression on her face. "You sure they're okay with me coming?"

"Yes," she answered, trying to sound as final as possible. "Lunch first and then dresses."

"I own a grand total of maybe two dresses," Sango pointed out. "I'm not going to be much help."

Rolling her eyes, Kagome nudged her friend. "Stop being ridiculous. And trust me, Yuka will have so many opinions that you won't need to even worry about saying anything."

The mall was packed but her friends had obviously been on the lookout since they were standing at a table, waving their arms to get their attention. Sango made a strange little sound at that but Kagome ignored it in favour of making her way over, grinning. "Hi! Sorry we're late."

"It's fine, we're just waiting for the pizza to be ready." Eri checked her phone for the time. "We've got like another five minutes. I hope you don't mind just cheese." The last bit was directed at Sango, who seemed surprised to be spoken to. Eri continued on, oblivious. "Ayumi is super picky."

"You don't have to tell everyone that," Ayumi said, with absolutely no heat to her words.

Yuka scoffed. "Why else would you only get cheese?"

Kagome rolled her eyes because this was a conversation they had had far too many times to count. " _Guys_ , shouldn't we be planning where to go first?"

"Already done before you got here," Yuka answered, grinning. "The real question is what kind of dresses we're looking for. Personally, I think long is the way to go."

"It's the charity gala, of course it's the way to go," Eri cut in.

"A _high school_ charity gala means all bets are off."

Ayumi poked Eri. "You just want to be extra fancy for Taiko!"

"That's a baseless lie!"

Kagome laughed and nudged Sango again, bringing her into the story. "So Eri has been ogling Taiko since last year but she refuses to do anything about it."

"He doesn't even know who I am!" Eri whined, sitting her head heavily in her hand. "The age difference ruins everything."

"Taiko Nakano?" Sango asked, frowning. "He's Miroku's age; they have history together."

"One year makes a difference," Eri stated, trying to sound wise.

Yuka ruined it with another snort. "Kagome and her boyfriend don't have a problem with it. Not sure why you're complaining about it being impossible."

And—

 _Boyfriend_.

Crap. Crap, crap, crap, _crap_. Kagome was frozen, eyes staring at Yuka because she couldn't move them anywhere else. Certainly not at Sango because while Kagome thought there was a good chance her friend had heard the rumour, or was at least suspicious, this just—Oh god.

"To be fair," Sango started, amusement heavy in her tone, "they don't go to school together. Age seems like a bigger deal at school than outside of it."

So she did know. Kagome braved a glance at Sango, who was smiling at the other three girls now arguing over school politics and social statuses. She didn't seem mad. If anything, the magenta-eyed girl seemed to be relaxed for the first time since arriving at the food court.

"You guys are crazy," Eri said finally, standing up. "Sango is totally right about the school thing and I'm going to get our food so you can all stew on it a bit longer."

"You're still a coward!" Yuka cheerfully yelled back, grinning ear to ear.

Ayumi groaned loudly. "You know this is going to make her resist more, right?"

"Or it's going to make her finally get her act together."

"That's what you said about Kagome."

Yuka waved a dismissive hand at her, nonplussed. "We didn't know about the Inuyasha Factor. Totally different."

"The Inuyasha Fa—" but Kagome wasn't able to finish her question when Sango burst out laughing, rubbing at her face like she couldn't believe the conversation was real.

"I'll have to use that sometime," she muttered.

Ayumi was smiling largely towards Sango. "How long have you known him for? Kagome said you guys were like family or something."

"Yeah, tell us about him!" Yuka butt in, "Kagome never gives us anything. We practically had to force her to say she was dating him at all."

"I bet." Sango smirked but shrugged. "There's not much to tell, really. He's a good guy. We grew up together. Super protective, kind of cranky when we don't do the dishes…"

"And _older_ ," Yuka added.

"That too."

"And is it weird that they're dating?" Ayumi asked, genuinely curious. "I mean, if you're all so close. Did you see it coming?"

"Guys," Kagome tried. She knew she sounded desperate, but these were desperate times. She waved her hands at her friends, trying to distract them. "We should really be figuring out where we're shopping—"

"We told you," Eri said, sitting down and tossing lunch to the centre of the table. "We already planned it. Stop taking away our fun."

This was going to happen no matter what Kagome did. Burying her face in her hands, she groaned. It was all her fault. She should have never let her friends pressure her into saying anything. The lie had seemed so easy at the time but now it was coming to bite her with a vengeance.

"It's kind of funny," Sango said then, nudging Kagome's shoulder a little. It didn't make her look up, but it relaxed the tension in her shoulders, like none of this really mattered anyways. "Sometimes I forget they're even dating."

Kagome snorted then, inelegant and loud. She couldn't help it.

The pizza was quickly getting devoured and the topic of the gala came up once more, all of them trying to outline what they were looking for. Kagome wasn't sure, not really, but if something caught her eye that would be good enough. It was hard to really imagine pretty dresses and heels when the last party she went to ended with those lightning demons after her.

"What about you, Sango?" Eri asked then, speaking around her mouthful of food. "What kind of dress?"

"Oh, no. I'm not going," she answered easily, shaking her head. "I'm just here for moral support. Had to get out of the house."

"What?" Ayumi asked. "Why not? It'll be fun!"

Sango shrugged then. "I don't know. They've never really been my thing? Plus, all I've heard lately from Miroku is 'the dance this' or 'the dance _that_.' It's so annoying."

"Isn't he, like, your boyfriend?" Yuka asked, frowning. "You're always together."

"No. We're not. He's taking this girl from his grade."

"But you clearly like him," Ayumi said then, sounding sad.

The shock on Sango's face was pretty obvious, and Kagome felt a little bad for not warning her friend that Ayumi was the most perceptive of all of them. Yuka and Eri were loud and friendly and outgoing, but Ayumi always looked a little deeper.

"Whoa, you mean she likes him and he's flaunting this date in her face?" Eri asked, indignant and horrified. "That's a dick move."

"It's not like that," Sango protested. "I mean, I _do_ like him but. I kind of messed up, a few times. He's always made it known that his feelings were mutual but I never let anything happen. Now, he's moved on. I should be happy for him. And like, he's not rubbing it in my face, not really. We live in the same house so it's hard to avoid knowing what's going on."

"That's still crappy," Yuka stated. "Couldn't he like, take calls in his room or whatever?"

Sango shrugged.

"Well, this proves that you need to come to the dance with us!" Eri exclaimed, flipping closed the now empty pizza box. "I know someone who has an extra ticket they can sell you. Come and hang out with us!"

"We'll find you a killer dress and make sure he knows just how much he's still hung up on you," Yuka agreed.

"It would be fun to have you there," Kagome added. "Just a girl's night. No drama." _No demons_ , she didn't specify, but she knew Sango understood anyways.

It took a little more hesitation, but eventually the magenta-eyed girl nodded. "Sure, I guess. I've never been to one anyways."

"Now that _definitely_ has to change." Eri grabbed her cell phone and started messaging someone. "I'll secure you that ticket. This is going to be awesome."

"Before we go shopping, I want to get one of those berry smoothies. Anyone want one?"

"Oh, me!" Eri said breezily, standing up from her seat while never looking away from her phone. "Kagome?"

"No, I'm good," she replied. Sango shook her head.

Ayumi stood up too. Kagome was pretty sure she didn't like the smoothies, but maybe there was still something in Kagome's expression that made her do it. "We'll meet you both back here," she said, waving.

While the other three girls walked away, Kagome eyed her friend. "So?"

"They're pretty fun," Sango answered, grinning. "Very enlightening. The whole boyfriend thing was great."

"Oh god, _no_ , okay I can explain!" Kagome waved her hands, trying to find the right words and failing. "I—I didn't actually say, at first—"

Sango laughed. "I may not be the most social at school, but I knew about this rumour a while ago. Mostly because Hojo was devastated, I think they were saying?"

Groaning, Kagome buried her head again, this time into her arms. Unsanitary table or not, the horror of the situation was too great to stop her. "I feel terrible."

"Why, because you lied? I literally just thought you and Inuyasha were kind of together anyways, or did you forget our whole conversation outside?"

Kagome sighed, not sure how to explain. "It's more that I'm using him as an excuse? The girls were kind of…freaking out about what happened at the Halloween party. That part was true. And he was extra pissed at Hojo that night for whatever reason, and Eri was adamant we were like secretly dating. It was just…easier. With the dance coming up, and me wanting to avoid Hojo because I don't like him that way." She paused, her brain free of everything she wanted to say. It made the last thing Sango said come back. "Wait, did you seriously think we were together?"

It seemed like such a dumb question now. Obviously she had. Why else would she had thought they were making out in the mornings? Which… Kagome ignored that image, raising a brow at her friend while Sango seemed to consider her answer.

"Yes? But like, early stages? I don't know how to explain it. It's obvious you and Inuyasha have a connection. I've never seen him trust someone so easily or be so protective of anyone other than Miroku and I." She patted Kagome's shoulder, and she couldn't decide whether the act was meant to be consoling or friendly. Either way, her whole body was tingling, a flush spreading that she couldn't stop. It wasn't anxiety, but it was scary, a sort of swooping in her stomach that felt both good and bad and everything in between. "But you clearly weren't actually _together_. Inuyasha's never had a…girlfriend before. So I figured you guys were just…seeing?"

Kagome didn't really know what to say to that. She opened her mouth to say something, _anything_ , when Yuka's voice yelled at them from across the food court. Her friends all had their smoothies, clearly ready to go.

"Time to go dress shopping," Sango said.

Laughing, Kagome pushed back everything she wanted to say, everything she wanted to push for an explanation. The Inuyasha thing was this big question mark, something she needed to think about properly. It didn't make the fluttering of her stomach any less rampant, but it did calm her. There was a time and place, and this moment was neither. "Don't sound so terrified," she snickered.

Sango looked affronted, but only for a moment. "I've chased down demons twice my size. Trust me, I know exactly how terrified I should be."

* * *

The look in his golden eyes made her stop dead.

Kagome stood there just outside the treeline, body thrumming with the need to run. Inuyasha was only a few feet away, just like he always was. But this—This wasn't normal.

"Inuyasha?" she asked hesitantly, closing the distance with tentative steps.

The half-demon scowled at her. "I'm fine. It's nothing."

It was a big gash on his forehead, still bloody in some spots and smeared in others. Like he'd dabbed at it with his sleeve and nothing else. His skin was pale, almost ashen, and he looked so tired it would be a miracle if he didn't collapse at any moment.

"Inuyasha, this isn't nothing," Kagome whispered, hating how scared she sounded. "Who did this to you?"

A growl, sharp and over as fast as it began. "No one. I fell. Crashed through a tree and hit a branch on the way down."

She let that sink in for a moment, took in the anger on his face and the way his body was held so stiffly, granite would break faster. Kagome didn't know how to help him and she didn't know what to say. Her hands moved upwards, of their own volition, until she was touching his face and moving it to the side to get a better look. "You need to get this bandaged," she said finally. His face was warm, despite the coldness of winter.

"I'm fine."

"You're _not_ fine," Kagome snapped. "When was the last time you slept?"

It was either the right question, or the wrong one. Inuyasha took a few steps back, crossing his arms over himself. "I'm sleeping f—"

"So _help me_ , if you say 'fine' again, I'm calling Sango! Maybe you'll listen to her."

That shut him up. The click of his jaw was audible and his glare sharpened, focus on the ground in front of his feet. He looked cornered, trapped, even though he had the entire forest to run away into. Kagome felt even more terrible than before, even though his stubbornness was making everything harder than it had to be.

"Look," she murmured finally, trying for placating. "Let's go back to my room, okay? I'll patch you up and then you can go home and be mad at me there."

It took a second, but his growling voice uttered some sort of garbled sentence she couldn't make out.

"What?" she pressed.

"I'm not mad at you," Inuyasha exclaimed, a little too angry sounding for the words he was saying. "I'm just—" He cut himself off, lips sealed in a tight line. "Whatever. If it makes you happy, I'll come."

She was the furthest thing from happy, but she didn't say that. Instead, Kagome held back a yelp as the half-demon scooped her up in his arms without warning and took off. It was over in a blink, his landing soft and sure just by the side of her house. He put her down and immediately leapt for the roof, no words or planning or anything.

Kagome bit back a sigh.

Her mother was initially worried, but she played it off as a cramp in her side and nothing more. She laughed gently at her mom's fretting, and promised to take a long, hot shower before coming down for their usual morning tea. Sota was still sleeping in his room, his door shut and likely to remain that way for another hour.

Inuyasha was sitting on her bed, glaring at the duvet.

"Please tell me you didn't bleed on it," Kagome asked, aiming for lighthearted but missing by a mile.

"What? No." Inuyasha scowled. "It's barely bleeding."

"It's dripping down your eyebrow." Kagome sighed. "Come on, let's go to the bathroom. The bandages are in there and I'll need to pretend to shower." Inuyasha stared at her, glare completely gone. His skin was still too pale and eyes a little too bright. When he didn't say anything, Kagome waved at him. "Come on."

The half-demon slowly got up and followed her into the bathroom. She shut the door behind them and immediately turned on the water for the shower, keeping the water cold so it wouldn't steam up the room. The first aid kit sat under the sink, buried in the back due to its disuse. When Sota was younger, Kagome was positive the kit had a permanent place on the counter, always within reach.

Inuyasha was uncharacteristically quiet, sitting on the closed toilet seat and waiting. He watched her, the same way you watched the only moving person in a room of stillness. His hands were balled into fists but he didn't flinch or move at the first press of a cloth to his head, as she tried to clean the wound.

"Must have been a huge tree branch," Kagome commented casually, thanking every power-that-be that the cut didn't require stitches. It hadn't been bleeding that badly, but with Inuyasha, who knew how long ago it had happened?

The half-demon grunted.

"Were you going to see Jinenji?"

"At five in the morning?" Inuyasha asked, annoyed. "No."

"So what were you doing then?"

"Nothing. Just running."

Kagome kept going, keeping her tone as light as her hands on his head. "Checking for demons?"

"No," he growled. " _Just running_."

"At 5 AM."

A tiny growl. "Yes."

"Because you couldn't sleep?"

"I'm sleeping fine."

Kagome snorted inelegantly. "I don't think you know what 'fine' means, Inuyasha. Because whatever is going on with you? It's not fine." She dabbed antiseptic on the wound and only felt a tiny bit bad at the half-demon's slight intake of breath. It probably stung horribly. She continued to sanitize the gash, leaning down so their faces were closer. She wanted to see his expression, wanted to know just how simple the lie was rolling off his lips. "Why are you running instead of sleeping?"

Golden eyes locked with hers. They weren't, surprisingly, angry. "You've been talking to Miroku and Sango."

"They're worried."

"Yeah, well, they're wrong." Inuyasha huffed out a breath, mouth still twisted in a scowl. "I'm not running at night. I wouldn't leave them unprotected like that."

 _Unprotected_. From an attack. Or another dead body being dropped on their porch. Sango had said this had been going on for at least week, before Jinenji showed up. It was the easiest of all connections to make. "So you stay awake at night, then, just in case?"

"I go to sleep," Inuyasha growled out, starting to get testy again, a nerve clearly struck. She put two and two together.

Kagome carefully grabbed some bandages and started to tape his forehead at the cut, being as gentle as she possibly could. For all that Inuyasha seemed invincible, he was sometimes the most easily breakable thing. Quick to anger. Quick to snarl. Quick to accuse. Little nicks in an armour that barely fit him. He wasn't the only one.

"You know about my anxiety," Kagome said quietly. That intense gaze was back on her again, though this time she refused to look back. "You know that I have…trouble sometimes. Tense situations. Things outside of my control. Anything, really, depending on the day. I used to have the worst time sleeping. Getting to sleep was the hardest; I'd lie in bed for hours and think about every possible way my day could go wrong. Or how some school assignment was due soon and I had no time to do it, and I needed an A and how could I make all that happen? Things my friends were talking about. Stressing about how to nicely turn down the sweetest guy in school. It just circled, endlessly. The only reason I slept at all was because I'd be so exhausted, I'd finally pass out. Running usually helps, but not always."

She leaned back to inspect her handiwork. It wasn't great, but it was clean, at least. He'd probably be as good as new before the day even ended with how fast he healed. "Anyways, sleep has always been a problem for me but when that centipede demon came after me…" She shrugged. "Nightmares. Every night. It's not even the demon in my dreams, it'll just be random things. Sango screaming. Miroku getting gutted. You dying."

Inuyasha growled softly, like the thought offended him though he was speechless to voice it. He just kept staring and it would be unnerving if Kagome wasn't determined to force a point on him, to get him to ask for help. If not from her, then from Miroku or Sango or hell, even Mushin. _Someone_.

"But training helps. Talking to you guys about this all helps. Makes me feel less alone in his world that seemingly has no idea." Kagome swallowed. "I struggle a lot with that, probably more than the sleeping, to be honest."

"We gave you an out," Inuyasha said, voice rough.

She shook her head. "You're not listening if you think that's what I would've needed. Or what I need now. I've got you and Sango and Miroku. If I tell you I'm in trouble, you'll come."

" _You've_ never said anything about your nightmares," he accused, like her right to preach about communicating problems was suddenly null and void.

Kagome shrugged. "I'm not perfect. Plus, I just told you and you didn't even ask me."

Inuyasha scowled again. "You didn't ask me either," he said, like the words pained him to say.

"I asked when was the last time you slept."

"Last night."

Purposely difficult. Kagome wanted to throttle him, chest expanding as she took a deep breath. To yell at him or smack him or what, she didn't know. But one look at the half-demon's face, and it was clear this was what he wanted. Some kind of fight, like if he could make her mad he could deflect all he wanted and go running in circles, over and over again until she gave up. Brilliant, but stupid.

Kagome gritted her teeth and forced herself to say, as calmly as she could, "A full night's sleep, where you closed your eyes at night and opened them for the first time again the next morning right before our run."

And Inuyasha didn't deflate, but it did seem like he got smaller. The tense line of his shoulders and the puff of his chest all seemed to curl in, grow soft. The armour falling down and clinking to the floor. "Since the body."

He didn't have to say which one.

"Are you having nightmares?"

A stiff nod, but he held her gaze.

"Do you know who did this?" Kagome asked, reaching out to touch his shoulder. He didn't push her hand away, didn't flinch. Just stared.

"No."

"We'll figure this out, together," she pressed, about to say more when Inuyasha scoffed, the sound barely heard over the pounding of the shower.

"It was my name on the body," he stated, pushing her gently away so that he could stand up. At his full height, and though they were still standing close, the half-demon seemed so much further away. "Whoever did this is after me, and that means you and Sango and Miroku are all targets. The more you're involved, the easier it is for you to get caught."

Kagome rolled her eyes. "You said that about me when I first joined your merry little band of slayers. I'm still alive."

"But for how much longer?" he snapped, hard and brittle.

She wouldn't give in, not to this fight and not into his dramatics. "You wouldn't let me die, Inuyasha." He wouldn't _let_ her, and it was the truth as much as it was a deflection for a real answer. One she couldn't give.

The half-demon shook his head and twisted to turn off the shower. "Your mom is wondering if you fell asleep in here," he muttered. "She'll probably come up soon."

"Okay," she murmured. "I promised you could run away after, so now's your chance. Go, be mad at me."

It was Inuyasha's turn to roll his eyes. "I'm not mad."

"Could have fooled me."

Inuyasha was silent as they left the bathroom, but Kagome made as much noise as she usually did. She shut her bedroom door and started to pull out some clothes to change into. She'd wait until he left to wrap her hair up and go down to pretend everything was okay. It wasn't, not really. She wasn't lying to Inuyasha when she said they'd figure it out. She just didn't know how many bodies would drop in the meanwhile.

She expected the window to be open when she turned around, Inuyasha already on his way if not gone. Instead, she found him glaring once more at her bed, like the thing offended him. She frowned, confused. "Uh, Inuyasha?"

He turned to look at her, face a little surprised like he hadn't realized what he'd been doing. He was still so pale, with those big dark circles under his eyes. It was probably that he was so tired, and that it wasn't her bed in particular that was the problem, but _all beds_. He needed to sleep. At least a few hours, just to start.

"You coming over later?" Inuyasha asked, face scrunching up.

"Yeah, Kaede will be there. My first training session or…whatever it should be called." Kagome shrugged, but she didn't miss the way the half-demon's eyes narrowed and his glare shot down to the ground. Sango and Miroku were right then; he clearly had issues with the old woman. Now probably wasn't the time to hash that out, considering what she'd already got him to talk about. Small, baby steps.

"Just—" Inuyasha huffed again and refused to look at her. "Be careful around her, okay?"

Kagome frowned. "Yeah, of course." _What could she even do?_

The silver-haired teen nodded like that was that though, a promise despite how it was given. "I'll see you later." He touched the window, about to push it aside when she couldn't stop the next words, couldn't stop the offer that had lingered in her mind ever since she'd seen that glare—

"Wait!"

Inuyasha furrowed his brow, turned to look at her. "What?"

"Are you…tired?"

"What kind of—"

"Have a nap here," she blurted out then, shrugging a bit wildly and looking at her bed, as if the thing could back her up. "I'll be downstairs and I'll shut the door so no one will come in. Nobody is going to bother you and you're in a house full of humans. Where no dead body showed up or anything."

She still wasn't looking at him – didn't want to see his expression – but there was a pause. Seconds felt like an eternity and she was just about to open her mouth, to take it back or say something else when he answered. "If that's okay?"

"Yeah." Kagome nodded and flickered her eyes to him, seeing the way those shoulders were curled in once more. He must have been exhausted to let that kind of vulnerability show. "I'll change in the other room and be back in a second. Okay?"

She didn't wait for his reply, simply going to the bathroom to change clothes and freshen up. It was simple routine, too little to distract her. When she got back, she dumped her clothes unceremoniously into the laundry basket. "I'll be downstairs." Kagome looked at the window, first, expecting Inuyasha to still be standing there. But he wasn't. Obviously.

He was sitting on her bed again, but there was no glaring at the duvet. Just hands fisting into the covers, like he didn't know exactly what to do.

 _Kagome_ didn't know exactly what to do. So she smiled as warmly as she could, told him to sleep well, and left.

* * *

She checked in two hours later. Inuyasha was fast asleep, curled on top of her blankets with his face smashed into her pillow. His black sweater was twisted, hood covering his mouth. He didn't look peaceful, or younger, or anything that books usually say. He looked about as dangerous as he always did.

A bit before lunch, she went back upstairs to wake him. It was time to head over to the house and Kagome didn't want to leave him there asleep.

But the window was open, the sheets cool, and Inuyasha was long, long gone.

* * *

Sitting at the Houko kitchen table, Kagome licked her lips and tried to focus on the journal in front of her. The handwriting was tiny and neat – Sango's mother's, apparently – and laid out impeccably. The journals detailed many things about the life of the Houko family, from details about demons they had slayed, to new knowledge learned and training sessions. It was a huge long shot, but the journals detailed which slayers had helped which hunts. If Inuyasha had been there, they could build a proper list of who knew about his existence.

The problem was that the journals never mentioned Inuyasha. Kagome didn't know what to think about that.

Miroku walked into the kitchen then, black hair still soaking wet from the shower. He'd been training with the half-demon, or that's what Sango had said anyways when Kagome was dropped off. "Are you ready for your first session with Kaede?" he asked, pushing back his dark bangs.

Shrugging, Kagome flipped her journal closed. "I guess. I'm not really sure what to expect."

"Even Mushin couldn't say," Miroku added, looking apologetic. "He'd never met a priestess before. Did you guys already eat?"

Sango nodded absentmindedly, pointing vaguely in the direction of the fridge. "Sandwiches. I made one for you."

Miroku grinned at that and helped himself.

"Where's Inuyasha?" Kagome asked, trying her best to sound casual.

Sango gave her a look but Miroku paid no mind, happily removing the wrap protecting his food. "Last I saw him he was putting away our stuff downstairs." 'Stuff' being the guns, likely, or whatever weapon Miroku was training with at the time.

So maybe Inuyasha wasn't purposefully ignoring her. Kagome pushed away the thought because it was stupid and childish. She hadn't done anything wrong, getting him to talk about things and offering for him to nap in her room. It wasn't like she was there on the bed, napping _with him_. Sango's words the day before had put these weird, swirling thoughts in her head that weren't important. Whatever was between her and Inuyasha was new, and simple, and…undefinable at the moment. And that was okay. She had other things to worry about, other things that were far more pressing.

Sitting down with his lunch and a glass of water, Miroku peered as much as he could at Sango's journal. "Did you find anything in the notebooks?"

"Not yet." She was clearly frustrated. "I mean, Dad wrote this one around the time Inuyasha came to live with us, but there's nothing."

Kagome nodded. "Nothing in mine, either. Not even a mention of him."

"That's weird." Miroku frowned, mid-chew. "He has to be at least mentioned in there."

"Right?" Sango shook her head. "But these are hunts I know we went on with Inuyasha, and he's just not there. It doesn't make any sense."

"Do you think Inuyasha knows anything about this?" Miroku asked. "Your parents noted everything. There must be something on him, some sort of clue as to what happened to that body. Either someone Inuyasha met, or a demon we took down that Inuyasha had a big hand in."

"Maybe," Sango admitted. "I'll try and ask him, see if he knows. If these journals can give us some sort of clue, we may be able—" The doorbell rang then, loud and startling. Sango flashed a smile at Kagome and stood up before continuing. "We may be able to figure out what demon dropped off that body. We can get ahead for once, and stop more people from dying."

"Hopefully," Kagome agreed, following her friend to the front hall. Of course, Inuyasha was already there, hand on the front door and blocking the entrance to whoever was outside.

Well, it would only be one person.

"Hello!" Sango greeted kindly, pushing Inuyasha aside as she took in the older woman. "You must be Kaede."

"That I am." Kaede nodded her head politely, grey eyes immediately switching straight to Kagome. "Priestess," she greeted.

"Uh—"

"Yeah, no," Inuyasha interrupted. "None of that."

"It's who she is," Kaede replied, not unkindly. "You know this more than anyone else."

He looked ready to snarl, so Kagome pushed her way in front of him. He was pressed to her back but she ignored him entirely, forcing a smile. "Thanks again for coming all this way!" It was possibly a bit too cheerful but no one commented on it.

"Of course, child." Kaede made her way inside, pulling at a scarf wrapped around her neck. Sango went to take it and it was only then that Kagome saw Mushin standing nearby, silent and friendly. His smile was small but genuine. He came over to speak to her and the two spoke in hushed tones.

Kagome took it as an opportunity to learn something. She spun on Inuyasha, frowning at him. "What was that?"

"Don't look at me," Inuyasha replied, testy. "She's crazy."

"She's here to help me," she hissed.

Inuyasha rolled his eyes and backed off, heading towards the bedrooms. "Yeah, whatever. Good luck with that."

If the nap had helped him at all, it should as hell wasn't showing.

"Told you," Sango muttered, her friend sidling up beside her. "Super moody every time Kaede is mentioned. It's like she tried to kill him or something."

"Shall we start?" Kaede said loudly, catching their attention and making them turn around.

Kagome smiled. "Sure. I'm ready when you are."

"You said you needed a quiet space, uninterrupted," Mushin reiterated, pointing towards the basement. "Feel free to use the space downstairs. I'm the only one that goes down there anyways. You'll be free of any distractions."

Kagome resisted from asking if she needed to bring down a notebook or pen or something to take notes. She didn't know what to expect, or what they were going to cover. Kaede had an old, canvas bag with her, but the contents of it were unknown. It seemed bulky, but having only met the woman once she couldn't say. Nervously, Kagome waved to Sango and followed both Mushin and Kaede down. She'd actually never been in the basement before and was surprised by just how nice the space was. Dark wood furnishings and lights everywhere, with a small kitchenette in the corner. A large television screen took up most of the far wall, with oversized couches and mismatched loveseats skirting around it.

Mushin gestured towards the sitting area, clasping his hands together. "Did either of you want anything to drink first?"

"Uh, no," Kagome answered, a bit taken aback. She was so used to getting her own stuff at their house now, the question seemed weird. "I'm good. Thank you."

"Nor me, but thanks," Kaede also replied. "We shouldn't be too long."

With that, Mushin disappeared back up the stairs and they were left alone. Kagome tried her best not to fidget, eyeing the older woman for a clue on how to proceed. Kaede was slowly sitting down on one of the big chairs, sighing as she settled and dropped her bag to the floor. "Don't look so nervous, child. I'm here to help you."

"That's not really what I'm nervous about." Kagome pushed the sleeves of her sweater back, taking the closest couch and leaning on the armrest. "I just don't know what to expect."

"Truthfully, neither do I." Kaede gave a small smile, like she was thinking of a secret that would never come to light. "I've been told so much about you, and we met briefly weeks ago. Tell me: how have your powers been progressing?"

"I'm not…really sure?" Kagome hated how uncertain she sounded. If this was some kind of test, she was definitely failing. "There was a demon though that we took out. A lizard demon. I touched him and purified him, I guess."

Kaede nodded, solemn and unbothered. "How did you feel, afterwards?"

No one had asked that of her before. To be honest, the situations were always so dire or terrifying she was just grateful they were alive. "Fine. I mean, the lizard demon was emotionally difficult." Kagome licked her lips and swallowed, ignoring the horrified chill that swept through her at the memory of her father's eyes, wide and begging. But she hadn't remembered it was him, not until the very, very end.

It had been too late, then.

"But you weren't tired after?"

"No more than usual."

Kaede hummed a little, her hands interlacing on top of her lap. "You must have significant power. My sister, Kikyo, almost always needed a nap after using a large amount of her power. Purifying a demon often made her pass out."

"Oh, no. That's never happened to me." Kagome tried to think back to all the times she had purified a demon, intentionally or by accident. "I'm usually okay, after. Tired from running, maybe. Out of breath. But never so exhausted I need to go to sleep."

"I'm quite amazed." Kaede sat forward a little, leaning in so it was like the old woman was about to impart a secret. "I think, if my sister was here, she'd be a little more hopeful for the world."

Kagome didn't know what to do with that, what to say. She didn't know anything about Kikyo, other than they looked so much alike. She wondered, fleetingly, what it was like for Kaede to be sitting across from her, talking about things she once spoke to her sister about.

"Your power is obviously great, but the half-demon was correct. You need to learn to protect yourself from threats, especially if the demons are targeting you like he said. Do you still find that to be true?"

"There hasn't been another direct attack, I guess." Kagome shrugged. "But it seems that way. Inuyasha is sure of it."

"Aye, well, he would know."

Kagome frowned, but Kaede started to search through the bag she brought down, her wrinkled face furrowing as she dug through it. Finally, she pulled out a book with a soft beige cover, the edges worn and browning. She read the title, the sentence familiar but hardly so. _The Jewel of Four Souls._

"You know of it?" Kaede asked, gesturing at the book.

"Kind of," Kagome answered, tracing the words with her finger. It came back to her then, Mushin telling her and Sango of a jewel so powerful, demons craved for it. They would be lured, like moths to a flame. "It was born from the most powerful priestess of all."

"Yes. Her name was Midoriko." Kaede gently started to flip open the book, sliding through page after page until she found one that held a sketch of a woman with familiar dark eyes. She looked like a warrior; a woman forged in fire that came out ice. "She was like you. She could purify demons with a single touch. Some say that she could purify ten thousand demons at once. She was the number one enemy of all demons and they sought to destroy her."

"Is that how she died?" Kagome had to look away from the picture, away from the stoic disposition of the image. She seemed regal, strong and steady, the kind of person that could charge into battle with a cool-head and only a tingle of fear. Kagome wasn't anything like that, despite what Kaede said.

The old woman nodded, her grey eyes glazed. "There was a man – a human man – who wanted her for his own. It was greed and entitlement that called the demons, and latched themselves to the soul of the wretched man. An army of demons came with him. It was said that the skies were so black, the sun didn't rise that day." She flipped another few pages, landing on a paragraph that was titled _The Binding_. "She slayed the demons but the man who had been a vessel for evil was not so easily destroyed. It was the human in him, the part that couldn't be purified, that made it so difficult. A single touch burned, but did not kill. And so they battled for seven days and seven nights, until Midoriko was almost consumed. It was at that moment, just before death, that she intertwined her soul with the half-demon's."

"Wait," Kagome interrupted. "A half-demon?"

"For lack of a better description," Kaede admitted, looking up the stairs in what could only be a grimace. "He was not human, nor demon, child. He was a twisted thing, his soul devoured by evil. But he could not be purified with a single touch, just like your will would do no harm to Inuyasha. They are not the same, but the result of your influence is."

Kagome read the title – _The Binding_ – once more. "So she…connected herself with the demon?"

"Irrevocably, and from her chest was born the Jewel of Four Souls. Within it, it is said that she and the half-demon battle endlessly, forever trapped within it."

"That's horrible."

"Yes, but her sacrifice was not in vain. Afterwards, centuries of priestesses have protected the Jewel, ensuring that it never fell in the hands of demon-kind. Should it do so, a demon's power would increase exponentially and their ability to be purified gone." Kaede shut the book, pressing it into Kagome's lap. "And this is where we will start."

"How?" she asked. "I don't even know where the Jewel is."

"Then I will show you how to search for it," Kaede replied.

Kagome put the book aside and then immediately didn't know what to do with her hands. She buried them in the sleeves of her sweater, tugging them from the bunches she made at her elbow. "I can sense it, like demons can?"

"Not all demons can sense the Jewel. Only powerful ones, or ones that can sense far more than this reality." Kagome blinked at that, trying to wrap her mind around the ' _this reality'_ concept when the woman continued, head tilted like she was listening for something. "The Jewel resonates with life, since it was born out of a determination to never die. Like calls to like, Kagome. The Jewel will call to those who embody what it embodies. As a priestess, you are one and the same.

"Like calls to like," Kaede repeated, "but the Jewel is part evil, like the spirit of the demon it contains. Just like a normal human couldn't sense the Jewel, neither can a normal demon. But they can be drawn in, like a whisper in the distance that beckons them closer."

Kagome let that sink in. "That means to find the Jewel, I need to focus on my power. What calls to the Jewel."

Kaede smiled. "Exactly. Here, sit back on the couch and relax. Feet touching the floor, hands on your legs. Let's practice finding that part of yourself."

Meditation had never, ever worked for her. Too many 'what ifs' and worst-case scenarios would drift into her head, like a shiny token distracting a magpie. Keeping her mind focused on her breathing had always been difficult to do when so many other things called for her attention. Kagome tried to ignore that particular thought as Kaede walked her through each step. Feet on the floor, hands on her legs, eyes closed, she inhaled and exhaled as told. Guided meditation was easier but before Kagome knew it, her thoughts started to turn as she scanned down her body. She had been at her shoulders, noting her forced relaxation when she remembered that dreary morning with the rat demons. Her shoulder had recovered from the bite, but her thoughts spun from the demon attack to sitting in the bathroom getting fixed up by Inuyasha.

Inuyasha, who was probably scowling upstairs for reasons unknown. Who had previously been napping in her room, fiercely looking unhappy about it but almost desperate for the break. The more she seemed to learn about him, the less she knew. Especially why he was so angry with Kaede, so distrustful.

Was he in his bedroom right now, listening in on their conversation? If he could hear her heartbeat, surely he could hear them talking in the basement.

"Keep your breathing even," Kaede murmured, soft and almost lulling. Kagome pulled away from her thoughts to count breaths, in and out. She was here to learn. She had to focus.

But the counting only served to make her remember their mornings, out in the woods as they ran. He'd up the pace and she'd force herself to follow, to keep up. Some mornings Inuyasha would grunt at her, an acknowledgement of the time or a greeting – she didn't know. So many things she didn't know about the half-demon. Every bit closer to him seemed to create a thousand more puzzles.

Puzzles that she…wanted to figure out. Kagome wanted to know, regardless of what that meant.

"If you feel it," Kaede whispered, hushed and reverent. "Then call to it. Like calls to like. Summon that power within you, hold it close in your chest."

Kagome inhaled, counting _one-two-three-fo_ — And she called. She called out for what she was searching for and it hit her like a ton of bricks, an instant siren of knowledge she didn't know before.

Inuyasha wasn't in his bedroom, but in the kitchen. He was close, so close. She could practically feel the tension in his muscles, the scowl on his face – all just feelings, impressions, but _she knew_. Kagome _knew_.

"Now let it go." Kaede's voice sounded far away, like a dream slipping from her grasp.

Slowly, hesitantly, she pulled back. Just a little, just enough. The impression faded but it was like she was hovering, suspended over a new world she hadn't yet seen. Kaede was calling to her gently but Kagome didn't want to go. Not really.

And so she breathed in once again and felt _more_. Not Inuyasha, no not so close. Further away. No exact distance. Something tired and scared. Kagome tried to get closer, to _feel more_ , but then there was another. Another presence. Again, further out. Too far to feel, to understand anything more than goodness and worry and foreboding, but close all the same.

And then there was this shadow. Real but not, a shell, a façade, a—

 _Kagome_.

And out, away but coming closer, closer, closer. One, two, three, four, five, more. So fast, all wind and speed and howls.

 _Kagome._

Demons. These were demons. In Sakura and beyond, closing in. How close, _how close_ , _how_ —

 _Kagome._

Something was trying to pull her back, a tiny tug. Coaxing. Something human, something powerful. Kagome faltered, her call shuttered by the pull. It was time to stop, to go back.

 _Inhale_.

To breathe in—

 _Exhale_.

And br—

There. Far. A tendril of something, calling back. Wanting more, wanting Kagome's attention, wanting her _focus_. Like a ghostly hand running light fingernails on the back of her neck, down her spine to her core. It was unlike the others, the presences that Kagome sought out. This one sought _her_. It was curious. Light. Almost scared in its hesitancy.

Kagome called to it, reached out to learn more like she was offering her hand to take. An invitation. Willing. The presence curled in on itself before slowly – _so slowly_ – it extended. Called back.

Like calls to like. That's what Kaede had told her.

And then, it attacked.

Vicious, _screaming_ , latching on with claws and thorns and daggers. A mirror shattering, enveloping, slicing. It was pure miasmic evil, a poison that exploded and expanded to all reaches of the earth. It took hold of her, all violence and hatred until all she could hear were the screams. Her scream and the screams of thousands more, pounding and shattering her skull until there was nothing but pain.

She begged. She pleaded, fighting with every tiny jolt of breath.

Help. She needed _help_.

Kagome called and called. But no one called back.

* * *

 **TBC**

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 **Responses to Anon Reviews:**

Maya: Aw, thank you so much dear! That's incredibly kind of you to say. Hope you liked this chapter too!

Anna Offline: Thank you! Hope this chapter was worth the wait :)

AHH: Well thank you, incredibly wonderful reader, for leaving such a nice comment! I'm so happy you liked it!

Joy: Ah, well your heart probably dropped at this ending too! I'm so sorry. This is who I AM. Which is a terrible, no-good writer who should honestly write less cliffhangers. BUT! But. In my defence, the chapter was never supposed to end this way… It was supposed to end on a different cliffhanger but c'est la vie!

Anon: YES YES YES your heart probably hurts a lot more now, doesn't it?

Randompasserby: Oooh well thank you so much! I know it's been a bit of time, but hopefully you're still checking on this story. As you can see, I updated. Huzzah. The guilt would kill me if I didn't finish this story, so I promise it will be completed. I'm just a little slow (a lot slow, okay). Thanks darling!

Guest: Yes :) It's a reference to the first chapter, when he saved Kagome from Mistress Centipede!

Jeulio: Thank you so much dear! You're so sweet.

NS: Ahhh your review made me smile so much! YES, tug on that threads. Dreams are very important, especially now. I sincerely hope you enjoyed this chapter, and that you weren't working today so you wouldn't have to call in sick ;) Which, honestly, I think is a new level of compliment. THANK YOU!

Mal: I'm so glad you liked it! The family thing actually gave me so much worry. I seriously debated whether Inuyasha should meet them or not, and then trying to keep it within the TFOM universe but also within character was…hard. Or I felt it was anyways. I went back and forth on it so much. Thank you, thank you darling. It's always so great to hear what you think! Hopefully this chapter was up to snuff :)

Guest: Thank you so much, dear! So glad you're enjoying it!

The Well: He doesn't understand it, not yet. But you can tell he thinks about it, especially in this chapter. More on that soon, I promise! Thank you love!

Guest: I know :( It was a hard scene to write, actually. Because the message of it is important and drives into the themes of this story. Life is all in the grey. And I battled a lot writing this scene because I wanted to communicate how wrong Miroku and Sango were because of their closed-mindedness. Ignorance is just as hateful when you don't try to learn. But to be fair, they've never been given another example, which I was able to touch on more in this chapter. The discussion over the fight scene with Miroku, Sango and Inuyasha still isn't over. It will come up again and likely will never fully resolve. It's about learning from your mistakes and we'll all have to see if they do :)

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 **Thank you everyone for your overwhelming devotion to this story and your ceaseless encouragement. I know I'm slow but you all have no idea how much I appreciate you.**

 **More soon.**


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